Concussion in Rugby Players: a Pilot Study of Neural Recovery Using fMRI

Concussion in Rugby Players: a Pilot Study of Neural Recovery Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

This study assess the putative persistence of neural damage using resting state fMRI after concussion in rugby player once they have clinically recovered. The hypothesis is that despite a clinical recovery (absence of symptoms; neurological and neuropsychological examination returned to normal) connectivity map obtained using resting state fMRI are significantly different from a group of control subjects.

Resting state fMRI has shown to be a sensitive tool to assess neural damage after concussion. It seems more sensible than structural MRI including DTI. the study goal will be to assess rugby players using fMRI at 3 different times after concussion: just after concussion (V1), once players have clinically recovered (V2) and 3 months after V2 (V3). The study would specifically like to challenge clinical examination supposed to be normal at V2 to connectivity maps using resting state fMRI preformed at the same time. fMRI performed at V1 and V3 will serve as comparators (respectively very altered at V1 and back to normal at V3).

Inclusion Criteria:

• no neurological or psychiatric disease
• recent history of concussion (<3 months) according to the Rugby French Federation criteria.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to be assessed by MRI