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Creation of the Argentina- Sports Concussion Assessment & Research Study (Arg-SCARS).

OBJECTIVE
To investigate how and why, over time, rugby union players might vary in their cognitive and behavioral functioning, whilst exploring modifying and contributing factors for the development of clinical symptoms and problems in association with repetitive neurotrauma.


BACKGROUND
There is an urgent need for an improved understanding of the relationship between repetitive sports concussion and cognitive decline risk given that sports concussion prevention may plausibly impact upon neurodegeneration prevention. The Argentina- Sports Concussion Assessment & Research Study (Arg-SCARS) aims to explore the association between sports concussion and cognitive function over time in two cohorts of participants: active and retired rugby players.


DESIGN/METHODS
The Arg-SCARS is a longitudinal, prospective, naturalistic (nontreatment) study of rugby union players. It will be conducted in one Institute for Neurologic Research (FLENI) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The "active rugby players cohort" will consist of approximately 100 men aged between 18 and 35 years. The 'retired rugby players cohort" will consist of at least 140 men aged between 35 and 65 years. All participants will be evaluated in a uniform manner at entry and longitudinally thereafter with instruments that include a clinical and neuropsychological test battery, biological fluids collection, and structural neuroimaging. In those with and without sports concussion, cognitive and behavioral functioning will be assessed at biannual intervals for 12-year follow-up.


RESULTS
Outcome Measures will include: 1) rate of change for each cognitive and behavioral marker; 2) rate of volume change of whole brain, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex; 3) rates of change for each biological marker; 4) group differences for each cognitive and biological marker measurement; 5) assessing interrelationships among cognitive and biological markers.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study will provide us with greater insights and therefore better understanding of how repetitive head trauma influence rugby union player's risk of getting cognitive impairment later on in life.