Longitudinal changes of resting state functional connectivity in high-contact sports

Motivation: Repetitive contact sports head trauma poses cognitive decline risks. Goal(s): To assess whether high-contact sports exposure leads to longitudinal changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and associated cognitive performance longitudinally. Approach: Cognitive performance changes over time were assessed using ImPACT test scores. We acquired longitudinal rsFC and assessed a linear mixed-effects model to examine changes in rsFC by sport (high vs. low-contact), time, and their interaction. Results: High-contact athletes showed reduced visual motor speed and memory longitudinally, and reduced integration between executive control and default mode, but stronger connectivity within networks associated with internally directed cognition and attention. Impact: This research sheds light on how repetitive head impacts in contact sports affect brain connectivity over time and cognitive performance.