{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T12:06:56Z","timestamp":1789387616005,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"19-20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773878400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Football League Scientific Advisory Board"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Neurotrauma"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    The aim of this study is to determine if there is a difference in tau and amyloid beta (A\u03b2) deposition on positron emission tomography (PET) scans between former players and controls, and if there is a differential association of the tau and A\u03b2 deposition with concussion symptom burden. Participants completed the Rivermead Post-Concussion Questionnaire (RPQ) and PET imaging using Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) and AV1451 ligands to identify uptake of A\u03b2 and tau, respectively. A\u03b2 standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) and tau SUVR were compared between players and controls using a general linear model including age, race\/ethnicity, years of education completed, and total number of prior sport-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as covariates. A series of linear regression models were built to predict RPQ symptom scores including group status (player vs. control), A\u03b2 SUVR and tau SUVR, and the interaction between group status and the A\u03b2 SUVR and tau SUVR. Former players reported 4.9 \u00b1 2.8 and control reported 1.4 \u00b1 1.6 prior sport-related TBIs. Neither group reported any non-sport-related TBIs. Former players had higher RPQ symptom scores (13.3 \u00b1 1.8) compared with controls (4.7 \u00b1 1.8;\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 0.003). Controls had higher uptake for A\u03b2 in the precuneus (1.22 \u00b1 0.02) compared to players (1.14 \u00b1 0.02; corrected\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 0.007). There were no differences between groups in uptake for A\u03b2 in any other region of interest or tau in any region of interest. None of the regression models associating the interaction of group status and uptake with RPQ symptoms were significant. A\u03b2 and tau PET scans may have limited utility for identifying potential neuropathological differences between participants with a career in professional football from controls who did not play football beyond high school. The PET tracer used for tau in the current study (AV1451) is well-suited for Alzheimer\u2019s disease-related tau pathology with limited binding for chronic traumatic encephalopathy-type tau proteins. A PET tracer for chronic traumatic encephalopathy-related tau deposition should remain a focus of future research.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/08977151261433820","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T12:08:21Z","timestamp":1773922101000},"page":"1583-1588","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Utility of Amyloid Beta and Tau Positron Emission Tomography Scans for Identifying Early-Stage Neurodegenerative Changes in Former Professional Football Players and Healthy Controls: Results from the Brain Health Initiative"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"43","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6767-1042","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shawn R.","family":"Eagle","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Collins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anthony P.","family":"Kontos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oscar","family":"Lopez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"James M.","family":"Mountz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephen R.","family":"Wisniewski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kathryn","family":"Edelman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Steven","family":"Benso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sue","family":"Beers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ryan J.","family":"Soose","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ava","family":"Puccio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bedda","family":"Rosario","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charles M.","family":"Laymon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Lopresti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Davneet","family":"Minhas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vikas","family":"Agarwal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David O.","family":"Okonkwo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/neu.2022.0266"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1900757"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13195-023-01315-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00401-023-02540-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s43587-022-00204-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/neu.2022.0454"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/HTR.0000000000000284"},{"issue":"16","key":"e_1_3_2_9_1","first-page":"A259","article-title":"Validating the structure of the rivermead post concussion symptoms questionnaire (Rpq): A Track-Tbi study","volume":"35","author":"Agtarap S","year":"2018","unstructured":"8.Agtarap S, , 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