Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41377989›Full record

ArticleResearch square2026

Duration of contact sports play associated with aberrant DNA methylation in human frontal cortex.

Kerry A Breen, Nurgul Aytan, Samantha Hawkins, Raymond Nicks, Victor E Alvarez, Jesse Mez, Jan Krzysztof Blusztajn, Jonathan D Cherry, Ann C McKee, Honghuang Lin and 1 more

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2026. 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

11 authors.

Kerry A BreenDepartment of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biophysics, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1177-3493
Nurgul AytanBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Samantha HawkinsBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Raymond NicksBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Victor E AlvarezBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Jesse MezBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Jan Krzysztof BlusztajnDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8438-3122
Jonathan D CherryBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Ann C McKeeBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Honghuang LinProgram in Digital Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3043-3942
Thor D SteinBoston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston Chobanian & Avedisian University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6954-4477

Funding

TBDU19AG068753 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI Thor Stein · 2020 to 2026
$42.4M
FRAMINGHAM HEART STUDY - YEAR 5 EXAM75N92019D00031 · NHLBI · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2019 to 2024
$29.8M
RL5: Research Education CoreP30AG072978 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI Andrew Budson · 2021 to 2026
$25.6M
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA IN THE FRAMINGHAM STUDYR01AG008122 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI AU, RHODA, SESHADRI, SUDHA · 1989 to 2015
$14.4M
Temporal Trends, Novel Imaging and Molecular Characterization of Preclinical and Clinical Alzheimer's Disease in the Framingham CohortsR01AG054076 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI DECARLI, CHARLES, SESHADRI, SUDHA · 2016 to 2020
$12.3M
Traumatic Brain Injury and Repetitive Head Impacts: Contributions to AD/ADRD and CTE Neuropathology and Resulting Clinical SyndromesU54NS115266 · NINDS · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI STEIN, THOR · 2019 to 2023
$10.3M
Leveraging Existing Aging Research Networks to investigate TBI and AD/ADRD risk (LEARN TBI & AD)R01AG061028 · NIA · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI DAMS-O'CONNOR, KRISTEN, MEZ, JESSE BENJAMIN · 2019 to 2023
$5.9M
Age-Associated Lipidomic Changes in Alzheimer's DiseaseRF1AG057768 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI BLUSZTAJN, JAN KRZYSZTOF, STEIN, THOR · 2019 to 2021
$4.5M
Cerebrovascular Remodeling and Neurodegenerative Changes in Alzheimer's DiseaseR01AG075876 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · PI Thor Stein, JOSEPH ZAIA · 2022 to 2026
$3.9M
Epigenetic changes in synaptic and inflammatory genes involved in the age-dependent development of Alzheimer's disease pathologies andcognitive declineRF1AG054156 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI AU, RHODA, RYU, HOON · 2016 to 2018
$3.4M
Assessing Alzheimer disease risk and heterogeneity using multimodal machine learning approachesU01AG068221 · NIA · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI DESTEFANO, ANITA L, LIN, HONGHUANG · 2021 to 2024
$2.5M
Digital Cognitive Assessment of Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease and Related DementiasR01AG083735 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI Rhoda Au, Vijaya B. Kolachalama · 2024 to 2026
$2.4M
BLRD VA I01 BX005161BLRD VA I01 BX005933NHLBI NIH HHS 75N92019D00031NHLBI NIH HHS HHSN268201000011CNHLBI NIH HHS HHSN268201500001CNHLBI NIH HHS HHSN268201500001INHLBI NIH HHS HHSN268201500011CNIA NIH HHS P30 AG072978NIA NIH HHS R01 AG008122NIA NIH HHS R01 AG054076NIA NIH HHS R01 AG061028NIA NIH HHS R01 AG075876NIA NIH HHS R01 AG078299NIA NIH HHS R01 AG083735NIA NIH HHS R01 AG084624NIA NIH HHS R56 AG057768NIA NIH HHS RF1 AG054156NIA NIH HHS RF1 AG057768NIA NIH HHS U01 AG068221NIA NIH HHS U19 AG068753NINDS NIH HHS F31 NS141294NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS142076NINDS NIH HHS U54 NS115266
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Repetitive head impacts (RHI), primarily through contact sports play and military service, are a recognized risk factor for cognitive and behavioral symptoms, as well as progressive neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. While altered DNA methylation has been linked to environmental exposures and neurodegeneration, its association with RHI remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether duration of contact sports play in a community-based aging cohort is associated with altered DNA methylation patterns. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing on human dorsolateral frontal cortex identified 461 genome-wide significant CpG sites associated with duration of contact sports play, spanning 13 genes of which the majority were hypomethylated. The hypomethylation pattern was largely replicated in an independent cohort. Notably,

Identifiers

PMID41377989
PMCPMC12687817

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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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.