Principal Investigators: Professor Neil Pearce, Dr Valentina Gallo, Professor Damien McElvenny
Co-Investigators: Dr Simon Kemp, Professor Nigel Arden
Institutions: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Occupational Medicine, RFU, University of Oxford
Status: Ongoing

The BRAIN study is working with retired rugby players to uncover associations between a history of concussion and neurodegenerative disease.

Former elite rugby players over the age of 50 will be asked about their concussion history and data will be gathered on quality of life and social circumstances, with an extensive set of tests capturing physical and cognitive capabilities – including grip strength, memory and reasoning – and a neurological clinical examination to look for signs of disease. There will also be face-to-face assessments as well as blood and urine samples taken for future analysis.

We hope this project will help increase our understanding of the long-term effects of rugby and concussion on neurological health.

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