Recovery Profiles after Concussion among Male Student-Athletes and Service Cadets with a Family History of Neurodegenerative Disease: Data from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.

Preliminary evidence indicates that genetic factors associated with having a family history of neurodegenerative disease (fhNDD) may predispose an individual to persistent symptoms and poorer cognitive performance after concussion. No previous study, however, longitudinally examined athletes with (+) and without (-) a fhNDD. Therefore, we aimed to compare clinical symptoms and cognitive performance of fhNDD+ and fhNDD- athletes at baseline and at multiple time points after concussion. Questionnaire data from the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium were used to identify male athletes and cadets with ( = 51) and without ( = 102) a fhNDD (Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, mild cognitive impairment, and non-Alzheimer dementia). All athletes completed the SCAT3 symptom checklist and ImPACT test before their sport season and again within 24-48 h of injury, at the unrestricted return-to-play, and at six months post-concussion. Compared with fhNDD-, fhNDD+ individuals demonstrated greater decrements in visual memory (relative to baseline) 24-48 h post-injury ( < 0.05,  = 0.18). In addition, a main effect of group was observed for impulse control. Compared with fhNDD- athletes, fhNDD+ individuals demonstrated greater decrements in impulse control, 24-48 h post-injury, at the return to play, and at six-month assessments ( < 0.01,  = 0.23). These findings suggest that male athletes with a fhNDD may exhibit greater decrements in cognitive performance after concussion. Small, subtle deficits in cognitive performance may still significantly hinder day-to-day function in student-athletes.