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University of Pittsburgh Brain Health Initiative

David Okonkwo, MD, PhD · with National Football League, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals · NCT04708613

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 29–59 · Men only
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Observational
Target enrollment
300
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
November 18, 2019
Record last updated
June 22, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

This project will define the prevalence of brain health (i.e., normal cognitive, neuromotor, behavioral function) in living professional football retirees and group-matched controls through a comprehensive assessment of clinical, neuroimaging, and biomarker measures.

Being studied: Cognitive/Neuropsychological Testing; Vestibular/Ocular-Motor Testing; Sleep Evaluation; MRI, High-Resolution; Health & Physical Exam; Physical Function; Blood Testing and Biomarker Analysis; Applanation Tonometry; PET brain imaging; [C-11]6-OH-BTA-1; [F-18]AV-1451

Conditions: Traumatic Brain Injury

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion criteria

Former professional football player/exposed group:

  • Professional football retiree aged 29-59
  • Played a minimum of 3 professional football seasons, with a minimum of 3 games in each season
  • Fluent in English (translations are not available/validated for most neuropsychological tests)

Control/unexposed group

  • Age 29-59 male
  • High school education or beyond
  • Fluent in English (translations are not available/validated for most neuropsychological tests)

Exclusion criteria

Control/unexposed group

  • Played organized football beyond high school
  • History of severe TBI
  • Current unstable cardiovascular disorder

For both groups

  • Prior history of psychosis (such as schizophrenia), or other major neurological disorder that would interfere with testing, in the opinion of the primary investigator.
  • Contraindication to MR imaging, such as ferrous metal, pacemakers, or concerns about claustrophobia

Recruiting US locations

  • University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurosurgery

    Pittsburgh, PA 15213

    Site contact: Kathryn Edelman, MS · 412-624-1077 · dunfeekl@upmc.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Kathryn L Edelman, MS · 412-624-1077 · dunfeekl@upmc.edu
All neurology studies in Pennsylvania →
University of Pittsburgh Brain Health Initiative (NCT04708613) | Bored Studies