To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Some Boxers May Be Genetically Susceptible To Chronic Brain Damage URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2E3E6.htm Doctor's Guide July 8, 1997
CHICAGO -- July 8, 1997 -- A particular form of the gene known as apolipoprotein E may predispose boxers to develop chronic traumatic brain injury, according to an article in the July 9 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Barry D. Jordan, M.D., M.P.H., formerly with New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical College, New York, N.Y., now with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif., and colleagues studied 30 boxers who either volunteered or were referred for neurologic examination and genotyping. The researchers performed a detailed neurologic examination on each boxer, rating impairment on the Chronic Brain Injury (CBI) scale. Boxers were genotyped for apolipoprotein E (APOE), focusing particularly on a form of the gene known as the 4 allele. The researchers found that boxers with the APOE-4 appear to be more likely to develop chronic traumatic brain injury (CTBI). "The results of this preliminary investigation suggest that the APOE-4 allele may predispose a boxer to developing CTBI, especially in those with high exposure to the sport," they write. "The hypothesis that APOE-4 conveys a genetic predisposition to CTBI potentially has extraordinary ramifications for the regulation of health and safety in boxing and other high-risk sports," They conclude. "The presence of an APOE-4 in a boxer would not necessarily preclude a boxer from participation, but could be an indication to minimize or more strictly limit exposure to the sport ..." Boxers were classified as high exposure if they had 12 or more professional bouts. The researchers found that high exposure boxers in the study had significantly higher scores on the CBI, compared to boxers with low exposure to the sport. Boxing produces chronic brain damage in a high proportion of participants, some more than others. Major efforts by medical organizations and individual physicians to ban boxing have been unsuccessful, although reforms aimed at making boxing less hazardous have been enacted in some locales, according to George D. Lundberg, M.D., JAMA editor. CTBI is the most serious public health concern in boxing today. CTBI is characterized by: - Cognitive impairment. - Parkinsonism -- a neurologic disorder characterized by a masklike face, rigidity, and slowness of movements. - Ataxia -- incoordination and clumsiness affecting balance and gait, limb or eye movements, or speech. - Dysfunction of the pyramidal tract, which carries nerve impulses from the brain to the muscles. - Behavioral changes. "This syndrome has been most typically described in active or retired boxers after a long exposure to the sport," the researchers write. "However, CTBI may also be anticipated in other sports, such as American football, soccer or ice hockey." They point out that the presence of the APOE-4 was statistically significant, both in the tendency toward greater CTBI symptoms, and in the boxers' scores on the CBI scale. "High exposure boxers with an APOE-4 had a mean CBI score of 3.9 compared with 1.8 in high exposure boxers without the e4 allele." The CBI is scored from zero to nine, with higher scores reflecting greater impairment. The researchers urge that their preliminary findings be confirmed by APOE genotyping in a large, representative sample of boxers. The boxers ranged in age from 23 to 76, with an average age of 49. Eleven boxers were white, 10 were black, and nine were Hispanic. Three boxers were still active in the sport; the other 27 were retired. Among the 30 boxers, 11 were found to be normal by their CBI score; 12 showed mild deficits; four were moderately impaired; and three showed signs of significant impairment. Dr. Jordan received research funding from the Sports Neurology Boxing Fund. His colleagues received grants from the C.V. Starr Foundation and the Hoyt Foundation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.