Table 4.
Percentage of the sample that meets criteria for each traumatic encephalopathy syndrome feature at moderate severity or greater, stratified by subgroups.
| Core Clinical Features | Supportive Features | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | Cognitive | Behavioral | Mood | Impulsivity | Anxiety | Apathy | Paranoia | Headache | Motor signs | |
| Total sample | 409 | 19.8 | 11.0 | 26.4 | 6.4 | 31.3 | 19.3 | 7.1 | 34.2 | 9.8 |
| Non-contact sports or no sports in high school | 214 | 18.7 | 8.9 | 25.7 | 7.5 | 32.7 | 17.8 | 8.4 | 30.8 | 8.9 |
| Football in high school | 125 | 23.2 | 16.0 | 28.0 | 7.2 | 29.6 | 20.0 | 8.0 | 40.8 | 12.0 |
| Contact sports in high school (not football) | 70 | 17.1 | 8.6 | 25.7 | 1.4 | 30.0 | 22.9 | 1.4 | 32.9 | 8.6 |
| 0–3 Concussions | 366 | 17.2 | 7.7 | 23.8 | 5.7 | 29.0 | 16.3 | 6.3 | 30.3 | 7.9 |
| 4+ Concussions | 43 | 41.9 | 39.5 | 48.8 | 11.6 | 51.2 | 41.9 | 14.0 | 69.8 | 25.6 |
| 0–5 Years contact sports | 369 | 19.5 | 10.8 | 27.4 | 7.0 | 32.2 | 19.2 | 7.3 | 33.3 | 10.0 |
| 6+ Years contact sports | 40 | 22.5 | 12.5 | 17.5 | 0.0 | 22.5 | 20.0 | 5.0 | 42.5 | 7.5 |
| 6+ Years contact sports (with 2+ in college) | 22 | 27.3 | 9.1 | 18.2 | 0.0 | 13.6 | 18.2 | 4.5 | 45.5 | 9.1 |
| Did not meet neurotrauma exposure criterion | 344 | 16.3 | 7.8 | 24.1 | 6.1 | 30.2 | 16.6 | 6.4 | 29.4 | 8.1 |
| Met neurotrauma exposure criterion | 65 | 35.4 | 27.7 | 38.5 | 7.7 | 36.9 | 33.8 | 10.8 | 60.0 | 18.5 |
| Medication for anxiety | 115 | 29.6 | 20.0 | 47.0 | 9.6 | 60.0 | 32.2 | 14.8 | 51.3 | 16.5 |
| Medication for depression | 117 | 36.8 | 23.1 | 52.1 | 12.0 | 59.0 | 36.8 | 13.7 | 42.7 | 15.4 |
| Medication for ADHD | 37 | 45.9 | 21.6 | 32.4 | 10.8 | 51.4 | 27.0 | 16.2 | 40.5 | 8.1 |
| Of those with 0 concussions and No Contact Sports… | 126 | 15.1 | 7.9 | 20.6 | 7.9 | 29.4 | 11.1 | 8.7 | 24.6 | 4.8 |
| No/Minimal pain in the past year | 42 | 7.1 | 2.4 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 14.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 | 0.0 |
| Mild or worse pain in the past year | 84 | 19.0 | 10.7 | 27.4 | 8.3 | 36.9 | 15.5 | 11.9 | 34.5 | 7.1 |
| No/Minimal sleep issues in the past year | 55 | 7.3 | 1.8 | 5.5 | 7.3 | 10.9 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 10.9 | 1.8 |
| Mild or worse sleep issues in the past year | 71 | 21.1 | 12.7 | 32.4 | 8.5 | 43.7 | 18.3 | 12.7 | 35.2 | 7.0 |
| Mild or worse sleep issues and mild or worse pain issues | 61 | 23.0 | 14.8 | 34.4 | 9.8 | 42.6 | 19.7 | 14.8 | 41.0 | 8.2 |
| I have felt depressed = Never or Rarely | 75 | 8.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 10.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 20.0 | 1.3 |
| I have felt depressed = Sometimes, Often, or Always | 51 | 25.5 | 13.7 | 51.0 | 9.8 | 56.9 | 21.6 | 15.7 | 31.4 | 9.8 |
Supportive criteria for suicidality, documented decline, and delayed onset were not assessed. Regarding medications, participants reported a past history of being recommended or prescribed medications for anxiety, depression, or ADHD. The neurotrauma exposure criterion was operationally defined as a personal history of 4 or more concussions, or 6 or more years playing contact sports with 2 or more years at the college level or higher, or both.