The modulatory role of cannabis use in subconcussive neural injury
Rachel M. Kalbfell,
Devin J. Rettke,
Ken Mackie,
Keisuke Ejima,
Jaroslaw Harezlak,
Isabella L. Alexander,
Jim Wager-Miller,
Blair D. Johnson,
Sharlene D. Newman,
Keisuke Kawata
Affiliations
Rachel M. Kalbfell
Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA; Bioethics Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
Devin J. Rettke
Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
Ken Mackie
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
Keisuke Ejima
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
Jaroslaw Harezlak
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
Isabella L. Alexander
Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
Jim Wager-Miller
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
Blair D. Johnson
Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
Sharlene D. Newman
Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Keisuke Kawata
Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA; Program in Neuroscience, The College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Cannabis use has become popular among athletes, many of whom are exposed to repetitive subconcussive head impacts. We aimed to test whether chronic cannabis use would be neuroprotective or exacerbating against acute subconcussive head impacts. This trial included 43 adult soccer players (Cannabis group using cannabis at least once a week for the past 6 months, n = 24; non-cannabis control group, n = 19). Twenty soccer headings, induced by our controlled heading model, significantly impaired ocular-motor function, but the degrees of impairments were less in the cannabis group compared to controls. The control group significantly increased its serum S100B level after heading, whereas no change was observed in the cannabis group. There was no group difference in serum neurofilament light levels at any time point. Our data suggest that chronic cannabis use may be associated with an enhancement of oculomotor functional resiliency and suppression of the neuroinflammatory response following 20 soccer headings.
