Table 2A.
Demographic, American Football Exposure and Neuropathological Characteristics of 266 Players Stratified by Brain Bank
| Characteristic | VA‐BU‐CLF pre‐2014 (%) (n = 91) | VA‐BU‐CLF 2014‐2017 (%) (n = 164) | FHS (%) (n = 11) | All (%) (n = 266) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||||
| Men | 91 (100%) | 164 (100%) | 11 (100%) | 266 (100%) |
| Women | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Race | ||||
| White | 79 (87%) | 127 (77%) | 11 (100%) | 217 (82%) |
| Black | 11 (12%) | 34 (20%) | 0 | 45 (17%) |
| Pacific Islander | 0 | 1 (1%) | 0 | 1 (<1%) |
| Asian | 0 | 1 (1%) | 0 | 1 (<1%) |
| Other | 0 | 1 (1%) | 0 | 1 (<1%) |
| Unknown | 1 (1%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (<1%) |
| Mean age at death (SD) | 58.4 (18.9) | 61.0 (19.0) | 82.2 (9.9) | 61.0 (19.2) |
| Cause of death | ||||
| Neurodegenerativea | 26 (28%) | 58 (35%) | 1 (9%) | 85 (32%) |
| Cardiovascular disease | 12 (13%) | 31 (19%) | 4 (36%) | 47 (18%) |
| Suicide | 14 (15%) | 19 (12%) | 0 | 33 (12%) |
| Cancer | 9 (10%) | 8 (5%) | 4 (36%) | 21 (8%) |
| Motor neuron disease | 10 (11%) | 6 (4%) | 0 | 16 (6%) |
| Accidental overdose | 6 (7%) | 6 (4%) | 0 | 12 (4%) |
| Injury | 6 (7%) | 2 (1%) | 0 | 8 (3%) |
| Other | 7 (8%) | 34 (20%) | 2 (18%) | 43 (16%) |
| Unknown | 1 (1%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (<1%) |
| Median concussion count (IQR)b | ||||
| Concussion definition provided | ‐ | 45 (12‐150) | 0 | 47.5 (12‐150) |
| No concussion definition provided | 5 (1‐10) | ‐ | ‐ | 5 (1‐10) |
| Mean AFE to football in years (SD) | 11.8 (2.6) | 11.8 (3.1) | 14.3 (2.4) | 11.9 (2.9) |
| Mean duration played in years (SD) | 13.0 (6.1) | 13.7 (5.8) | 4.6 (1.3) | 13.1 (6.0) |
a
Includes dementia‐related and parkinsonian‐related causes of death.
b
Beginning in January 2014, participants were read a definition of concussion prior to inquiry.
AFE = age of first exposure.