Stellpflug Samuel J, Dalrymple Kirsten A, Stone Daniel, Southgate Samuel, Bachman David S, LeFevere Robert C, Hasan Jaan, Zwank Michael D
Department of Emergency Medicine, Regions Hospital, Saint Paul, MN, USA.
Critical Care Research Center, HealthPartners, Saint Paul, MN, USA.
Phys Sportsmed. 2025 Feb;53(1):18-26. doi: 10.1080/00913847.2024.2366154. Epub 2024 Jun 14.
Vascular neck compression techniques, referred to as 'chokes' in combat sports, reduce cerebral perfusion, causing loss of consciousness or voluntary submission by the choked athlete. Despite these chokes happening millions of times yearly around the world, there is scant research on their long-term effects. This pilot study evaluated whether repeated choking in submission grappling impacts the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and brain injury biomarkers (NFL, hGFAP, t-Tau, and UCH-L1).
Participants ( = 39, 29 male; ages 27-60 years) were assigned to one of two study arms: Grapplers ( = 20, 15 male) and 19 age/sex/body size matched controls. Grapplers had been exposed to >500 choke events while training for >5 years in a choke-inclusive sport. Exclusion criteria were recent TBI or deficits from a past TBI or stroke. Bilateral ultrasound measurement of the CIMT was performed, and blood was collected for quantitative analysis of four brain injury markers. Subgroup analyses were performed within the Grappler group to account for blunt head trauma as a possible confounder.
There was no overall difference in CIMT measurements between Grapplers (mean 0.55 mm, SD 0.07) and Controls (mean 0.57 mm, SD 0.10) = 0.498 [95% CI -0.04-0.08], nor were there CIMT differences between Grappler subgroups of blunt Trauma and No-Trauma. There were no significant differences in any biomarkers comparing Grapplers and Controls or comparing Grappler subgroups of Trauma and No-Trauma.
This study found no significant difference in CIMT and serum brain injury biomarkers between controls and grapplers with extensive transient choke experience, nor between grapplers with extensive past blunt head trauma and those without.
血管颈部压迫技术，在格斗运动中被称为“绞技”，会减少脑灌注，导致被绞技的运动员失去意识或主动认输。尽管每年在世界各地这类绞技会发生数百万次，但关于其长期影响的研究却很少。这项初步研究评估了在降服式摔跤中反复被绞技是否会影响颈动脉内膜中层厚度（CIMT）和脑损伤生物标志物（NFL、hGFAP、t-Tau和UCH-L1）。
参与者（n = 39，29名男性；年龄27 - 60岁）被分配到两个研究组之一：摔跤手组（n = 20，15名男性）和19名年龄/性别/体型匹配的对照组。摔跤手在一项包含绞技的运动中训练超过5年，期间经历了超过500次绞技事件。排除标准为近期的创伤性脑损伤或既往创伤性脑损伤或中风导致的缺陷。对CIMT进行双侧超声测量，并采集血液用于四种脑损伤标志物的定量分析。在摔跤手组内进行亚组分析，以将钝性头部创伤作为可能的混杂因素考虑在内。
摔跤手组（平均0.55毫米，标准差0.07）和对照组（平均0.57毫米，标准差0.10）之间的CIMT测量值没有总体差异（p = 0.498 [95%置信区间 -0.04 - 0.08]），钝性创伤摔跤手亚组和无创伤摔跤手亚组之间的CIMT也没有差异。在比较摔跤手组和对照组或比较创伤摔跤手亚组和无创伤摔跤手亚组时，任何生物标志物均无显著差异。
本研究发现，在有丰富短暂绞技经历的对照组和摔跤手之间，以及在有广泛既往钝性头部创伤的摔跤手和无此类创伤的摔跤手之间，CIMT和血清脑损伤生物标志物均无显著差异。
