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Are former NFL players at higher risk for brain decline? new study aims to find out

NCT ID NCT04708613

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: David Okonkwo, MD, PhD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study compares brain health in 300 former professional football players (ages 29-59) to a similar group of men who did not play football. Participants will undergo cognitive tests, balance and eye-movement exams, sleep assessments, and high-resolution MRI scans. The goal is to measure how common cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration are in former players, and to identify early signs of brain decline.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this study could clarify how common brain health problems are in former football players and help guide future prevention or monitoring strategies.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It cannot prove cause and effect, and results may not apply to all athletes or the general public.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 300 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Nov 2019

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

1. Professional Football Players: There will be 2 cohorts of former professional football players in this group: (a) random sample, and (b) non-random sample. 1. Random-Sample participants Recruitment of random-sample former professional football players will be conducted via collaboration with the Football Players Health Study (FPHS) at Harvard University. Subjects for the Brain Health Initiative (BHI) will include a random sample of enrollees in the FPHS who meet basic eligibility for BHI. 2. Non-Random participants: We will also enroll a non-random cohort of former professional football players that will be comprised of volunteers. 2. Controls: There will be 3 cohorts of unexposed controls in this group: (a) friends of former players, (b) brothers or former players, and (c) general population. Football players will be invited to refer friend(s) and/or brother(s), but it is not required for participation.

Ages

29 to 59 years

Sex

Male participants only

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria: Former professional football player/exposed group: 1. Professional football retiree aged 29-59 2. Played a minimum of 3 professional football seasons, with a minimum of 3 games in each season 3. Fluent in English (translations are not available/validated for most neuropsychological tests) Control/unexposed group: 1. Age 29-59 male 2. High school education or beyond 3. Fluent in English (translations are not available/validated for most neuropsychological tests) Exclusion criteria: Control/unexposed group: 1. Played organized football beyond high school 2. History of severe TBI 3. Current unstable cardiovascular disorder For both groups: 1. Prior history of psychosis (such as schizophrenia), or other major neurological disorder that would interfere with testing, in the opinion of the primary investigator. 2. Contraindication to MR imaging, such as ferrous metal, pacemakers, or concerns about claustrophobia

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Brain Concussion Brain Injuries, Traumatic traumatic brain injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Traumatic brain injury

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurosurgery

    RECRUITING

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.