Long-term effects of boxing and judo-choking techniques on brain function

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured by 133-xenon inhalation in 24 amateur and 20 professional boxers, and in 10 judoka. Results were comp ared with those from age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Eighteen boxers (9 amateurs and 9 professionals) and all judoka also underwent electroence phalography (EEG). Mean rCBF values did nor differ between either amateur b oxers or judoka and controls, whereas in professional boxers rCBF was signi ficantly (p<.001) reduced in the whole brain, especially in the frontocentr al regions. Healthy subjects, judoka, and amateur boxers showed a similar d istribution of global CBF (gCBF, the mean of 32 probes) values, although 12 .5% of amateurs had a significantly lower gCBF than controls. Among profess ional boxers, 25% showed a significantly low gCBF value; in the remaining 7 5%, gCBF was below the mean value of controls but did not reach statistical significance. Regional hypoperfusion, mainly in the frontocentral regions of both sides, was found in 35% of professional and in 29% of amateur boxer s. A correlation between gCBF values and number of official matches was not found in boxers. EEG was normal in all judoka and amateur boxers, but it w as abnormal in 3 professionals. This study shows the relevance of the neuro physiological assessment of athletes engaged in violent sports which can ca use brain impairment. In fact, while professional boxers may show brain fun ctional impairment in comparison to normal subjects, judoka do not. The lac k of correlation between CBF values in boxers and the number of official ma tches points to the difficulty of taking into account variables, such as th e number and the severity of matches during training.