Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39800397›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Brain health in Norwegian female former top-level football players: a protocol for a longitudinal cohort study.

Sara Christina Dahlén, John Bjørneboe, Stian Kirkerud Sandmo, Lena Bache-Mathisen, Peter Filipcik, Emilie Isager Howe, Einar August Høgestøl, Geir Selbæk, Truls Straume-Næsheim, Lars T Westlye and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Sara Christina DahlénOslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway sarad@nih.no.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-5988-0570
John BjørneboeOslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Stian Kirkerud SandmoOslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Lena Bache-MathisenOslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Peter FilipcikInstitute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Emilie Isager HowePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Einar August HøgestølDepartment of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Geir SelbækCentre for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tonsberg, Vestfold, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-8219
Truls Straume-NæsheimOslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Lars T WestlyeDepartment of Psychology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Roald BahrDepartment of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sports Medicine, Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Oslo, Norway.
Thor Einar AndersenOslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, Department of Sport Sciences, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRepetitive head impacts (RHI) in sports may represent a risk factor for long-term cognitive and neurological sequelae. Recent studies have identified an association between playing football at the top level and an elevated risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease. However, these were conducted on men, and there is a knowledge gap regarding these risks in female athletes. This study aims to investigate the effect of head impacts on brain health in female former top-level football players. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a prospective cohort study, enroling female former football players and top-level athletes from sports without an inherent risk of RHI. All participants are born in 1980 or earlier. We plan to perform follow-up assessments at least three times over 20 years.The protocol includes neurocognitive assessments, self-reported neurocognitive outcomes, neurological examination, advanced brain MRI, and fluid biomarkers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the South-East Regional Ethics Committee for Medical Research in Norway (2023/178330) and the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (SIKT). A Data Protection Impact Assessment was developed by the research group and approved by SIKT and the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. We will disseminate the results through peer-reviewed publications, academic conference presentations and webinars. We will communicate with the public and key stakeholders in football worldwide to inform and promote the development and implementation of potential preventive measures based on our study findings.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrainBrain ConcussionCognitive DysfunctionSoccerAthletesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMagnetic Resonance ImagingNorwayProspective StudiesBrain InjuriesDementiaNeuroradiologySPORTS MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID39800397
PMCPMC11751818

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.