CEREBRAL PERFUSION AND PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING IN MILITARY AMATEUR BOXERS AND CONTROLS

The objective was to compare two neurophysiological variables in activ e amateur boxers with non-boxing sportsmen. 41 boxers and 27 controls were given psychometric tests: 34 boxers and 34 controls underwent tec hnetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime single photon emission compu terised tomography (Tc99m HMPAO SPECT) cerebral perfusion scans. The c ontrols performed better at most aspects of the psychometric tests. Bo xers who had fought fewer bouts had a tendency to perform better at ps ychometric tests than those boxers who had fought more bouts. Tc-99m H MPAO SPECT cerebral perfusion scanning showed that controls had less a berrations in cerebral perfusion than the boxers. In conclusion, signi ficant differences were shown in two neurophysiological variables betw een young amateur sportsmen who box and those who do not. The long ter m effects of these findings remain unknown.