Assessing Cognitive-Motor Integration in Middle-Aged Athletes: The Effects of Dementia Risk & Concussion

We investigated the relationship between dementia risk and concussion history in a physically active, middle-aged adult population (between the ages of 30 and 65). These participants either had one of the following: a family history of Alzheimer's disease, a history of concussion(s), both histories, or no histories. We know from previous work in our lab that those with dementia or concussion history performed poorly when asked to make skilled movements when having to think simultaneously (cognitive-motor integration, CMI). Here we conducted a cognitive-motor assessment on middle-aged recreational athletes (male and female) using a computer tablet-based task. Data collected included kinematics such as reaction and movement time, path length, accuracy, precision. We predicted that those who either have a concussion history and/or family history of dementia will perform poorly when compared to controls, and that this effect will be exacerbated in those individuals with both factors. On an exploratory basis, these data will provide insight into lifestyle factors that may affect cognitive-motor integration in middle-aged adults, an ability often important for functioning safely at work and sport. We found that those with both histories have impairments in movement pathlength when compared to those with only concussion history and no histories, suggesting an additive effect of both histories on CMI performance. But activity level does not seem to be protective with regards to CMI decline in those with brain health issues.