Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2020
DOI
10.3390/ijms21207758
Publication Title
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume
21
Issue
20
Pages
16 pp.
Abstract
Recurrent concussions increase risk for persistent post-concussion symptoms, and may lead to chronic neurocognitive deficits. Little is known about the molecular pathways that contribute to persistent concussion symptoms. We hypothesized that salivary measurement of microribonucleic acids (miRNAs), a class of epitranscriptional molecules implicated in concussion pathophysiology, would provide insights about the molecular cascade resulting from recurrent concussions. This hypothesis was tested in a case-control study involving 13 former professional football athletes with a history of recurrent concussion, and 18 age/sex-matched peers. Molecules of interest were further validated in a cross-sectional study of 310 younger individuals with a history of no concussion (n = 230), a single concussion (n = 56), or recurrent concussions (n = 24). There was no difference in neurocognitive performance between the former professional athletes and their peers, or among younger individuals with varying concussion exposures. However, younger individuals without prior concussion outperformed peers with prior concussion on three balance assessments. Twenty salivary miRNAs differed (adj. p < 0.05) between former professional athletes and their peers. Two of these (miR-28-3p and miR-339-3p) demonstrated relationships (p < 0.05) with the number of prior concussions reported by younger individuals. miR-28-3p and miR-339-5p may play a role in the pathophysiologic mechanism involved in cumulative concussion effects.
Original Publication Citation
Hicks, S. D., Campbell, T. R., Fengler, E., Dretsch, M. N., Neville, C., Middleton, F. A., et al. (2020). Saliva microRNA Biomarkers of cumulative concussion. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(20), 16 pp., Article 7758. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21207758
Repository Citation
Hicks, Steven D.; Olympia, Robert P.; Onks, Cayce; Kim, Raymond Y.; Zhen, Kevin J.; Fedorchak, Gregory; DeVita, Samantha; Rangnekar, Aakanksha; Heller, Matthew; Zwibel, Hallie; Monteith, Chuck; Gagnon, Zofia; McLoughlin, Callan D.; Randall, Jason; Madeira, Miguel; Campbell, Thomas R.; Fengler, Elise; Dretsch, Michael N.; Neville, Christopher; and Middleton, Frank A., "Saliva microRNA Biomarkers of Cumulative Concussion" (2020). Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications. 68.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/pt_pubs/68
Comments
© 2020 by the authors.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.