Genetic Factors That Could Affect Concussion Risk in Elite Rugby

Antrobus, Mark R.; Brazier, Jon; Stebbings, Georgina K.; Day, Stephen H.; Heffernan, Shane M.; Kilduff, Liam P.; Erskine, Robert M. and Williams, Alun G. (2021). Genetic Factors That Could Affect Concussion Risk in Elite Rugby. Sports, 9(2), article no. 19.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020019

Abstract

Elite rugby league and union have some of the highest reported rates of concussion (mild traumatic brain injury) in professional sport due in part to their full-contact high velocity collision-based nature. Currently, concussions are the most commonly reported match injury during the tackle for both the ball carrier and the tackler (8-28 concussions per 1000 player match hours) and reports exist of reduced cognitive function and long-term health consequences that can end a playing career and produce continued ill health. Concussion is a complex phenotype, influenced by environmental factors and an individual’s genetic predisposition. This article reviews concussion incidence within elite rugby, addresses the biomechanics and pathophysiology of concussion and how genetic pre-disposition may influence incidence, severity and outcome. Associations have been reported be-tween a variety of genetic variants and traumatic brain injury. However, little effort has been devoted to the study of genetic associations with concussion within elite rugby players. Due to a growing understanding of the molecular characteristics underpinning the pathophysiology of concussion, investigating genetic variation within elite rugby is a viable and worthy proposition. Therefore, we propose from this review that several genetic variants within or near candidate genes of interest, namely APOE, MAPT, IL6R, COMT, SLC6A4, 5-HTTLPR, DRD2, DRD4, ANKK1, BDNF and GRIN2A, warrant further study within elite rugby and other sports involving high velocity collisions.