Exploring diffusion derived connectivity patterns between cognitively impaired and nonimpaired active professional fighters

In this study, we utilized the diffusion MRI (dMRI) data of cognitively impaired and nonimpaired active professional fighters from the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study and investigated the structural connectivity patterns between the two groups. Our study showed a disrupted connectivity pattern between cognitively impaired and nonimpaired active professional fighters, mainly due to short-range fibres. Further, a complex heterogeneous pattern was speculated due to fighting. These findings may help the clinicians better understand the effect of repeated head trauma on structural connectivity pattern and its association with later mental defects due to fighting.