Disrupted topological brain organizations in large-scale cortical networks between impaired and nonimpaired active fighters

Several MRI studies have shown structural differences in athletes with repetitive head trauma. However, whether coordinated variation exists in brain morphology of cognitively impaired-fighters is still unknown. Using graph-theoretical methods on inter-regional cortical thickness of impaired and nonimpaired fighters, we found alteration in the coordination of the large-scale structural brain-networks of impaired-fighters. The cortical thickness of regions identified as hubs showed a negative association with processing speed in impaired-fighters. Future studies will evaluate the role of network properties in predicting cognitive impairment in active fighters. Our study opens new avenues to understand impact of repetitive head trauma on brain organization.