TY - JOUR
T1 - Sports and trauma as risk factors for Motor Neurone Disease
T2 - New Zealand case-control study
AU - Chen, Grace Xia
AU - Douwes, Jeroen
AU - van den Berg, Leonard H
AU - Glass, Bill
AU - McLean, David
AU - 't Mannetje, Andrea Martine
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to the Motor Neurone Disease Association New Zealand, and their field staff for their generous support. We would also like to thank Michelle Gray, Di Marshal, Heather Duckett, Deirdre Thurston, Aly Timmings, for their help with conducting interviews. The study was funded by a grant from the Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand (Part of 11/1041 HRC Programme Grant?Building Research in Occupational Health in New Zealand [BROHNZ]).
Funding Information:
The study was funded by a grant from the Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand (Part of 11/1041 HRC Programme Grant—Building Research in Occupational Health in New Zealand [BROHNZ]).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To assess whether sports, physical trauma and emotional trauma are associated with motor neurone disease (MND) in a New Zealand case-control study (2013-2016).METHODS: In total, 321 MND cases and 605 population controls were interviewed collecting information on lifetime histories of playing sports, physical trauma (head injury with concussion, spine injury) and emotional trauma (14 categories). ORs were estimated using logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption and mutually adjusting for all other exposures.RESULTS: Head injury with concussion ≥3 years before diagnosis was associated with MND (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.09-2.09), with strongest associations for two (OR 4.01, 95% CI: 1.82-8.86), and three or more (OR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.00-5.45) head injuries. Spine injury was not associated with MND (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.48-1.36). Compared to never playing sports, engaging in sports throughout childhood and adulthood increased MND risk (OR 1.81, 95% CI: 1.01-3.25), as was more than 12 years playing football/soccer (OR 2.35, 95% CI: 1.19-4.65). Reporting emotionally traumatic events in more than three categories was associated with MND (OR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.17-3.03), with physical childhood abuse the only specific emotional trauma associated with MND (OR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.14-2.90), particularly for those reporting longer abuse duration (OR(5-8 years) 2.26, 95% CI: 1.14-4.49; OR(>8 years) 3.01, 95% CI: 1.18-7.70). For females, having witnessed another person being killed, seriously injured or assaulted also increased MND risk (OR 2.68, 95% CI: 1.06-6.76).CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the evidence that repeated head injury with concussion, playing sports in general, and playing football (soccer) in particular, are associated with an increased risk of MND. Emotional trauma, that is physical abuse in childhood, may also play a role.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To assess whether sports, physical trauma and emotional trauma are associated with motor neurone disease (MND) in a New Zealand case-control study (2013-2016).METHODS: In total, 321 MND cases and 605 population controls were interviewed collecting information on lifetime histories of playing sports, physical trauma (head injury with concussion, spine injury) and emotional trauma (14 categories). ORs were estimated using logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption and mutually adjusting for all other exposures.RESULTS: Head injury with concussion ≥3 years before diagnosis was associated with MND (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.09-2.09), with strongest associations for two (OR 4.01, 95% CI: 1.82-8.86), and three or more (OR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.00-5.45) head injuries. Spine injury was not associated with MND (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.48-1.36). Compared to never playing sports, engaging in sports throughout childhood and adulthood increased MND risk (OR 1.81, 95% CI: 1.01-3.25), as was more than 12 years playing football/soccer (OR 2.35, 95% CI: 1.19-4.65). Reporting emotionally traumatic events in more than three categories was associated with MND (OR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.17-3.03), with physical childhood abuse the only specific emotional trauma associated with MND (OR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.14-2.90), particularly for those reporting longer abuse duration (OR(5-8 years) 2.26, 95% CI: 1.14-4.49; OR(>8 years) 3.01, 95% CI: 1.18-7.70). For females, having witnessed another person being killed, seriously injured or assaulted also increased MND risk (OR 2.68, 95% CI: 1.06-6.76).CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the evidence that repeated head injury with concussion, playing sports in general, and playing football (soccer) in particular, are associated with an increased risk of MND. Emotional trauma, that is physical abuse in childhood, may also play a role.
KW - ALS
KW - emotional trauma
KW - head injury
KW - neurodegenerative disorders
KW - neuroepidemiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127453954&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ane.13615
DO - 10.1111/ane.13615
M3 - Article
C2 - 35355246
SN - 0001-6314
VL - 145
SP - 770
EP - 785
JO - Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
JF - Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
IS - 6
ER -