For the next two years, 120 Division I Rice University athletes will be part of a concussion study with Houston Methodist researchers to identify reliable and novel concussion biomarkers in their gut microbiomes in ways that standard brain imaging cannot.

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Sponsored by the NFL Players Association, the collaborative Houston Methodist/Rice University project will advance a 2022 study that explored the gut-brain connection in contact-sports student athletes and identified biomarkers for concussions within the athletes’ gut microbiomes.

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Although the study, initially involving 33 football players, was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the first study to ever show a measurable drop in certain bacteria found in the stools of athletes without concussions compared to those who had suffered sports-related concussions. It also found a connection between inflammatory proteins found in the blood and the ratio of good and bad gut bacteria of athletes who suffered concussions.

Concussion and gut microbiota

“This larger study will give us a clearer understanding and measurement of concussions and their association with gut microbiota functions, and whether these are gender-dependent,” said Sonia Villapol, Ph.D., Houston Methodist neuroscientist who leads the study with Kenneth Podell, Ph.D., head of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center. “Our ultimate goal is to better protect and maintain athletes’ health and also develop treatments to improve their safety and well-being.”

The study is part of the Center for Human Performance, created by Houston Methodist and Rice University to advance research and education to prevent injuries, improve rehabilitation, enhance performance and speed athletes’ return to life, work and sports.

“Our collaboration with Houston Methodist aligns perfectly with our commitment to advancing research that makes a real difference far beyond our campus,” said Rice Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland.

Contact sports

Dubbed “Gut microbiome markers of sport-related brain concussion,” the study will include 80 Rice male and female athletes from collision/contact sports like football and soccer and 40 athletes from non-contact sports, including swimming, track and field and tennis. Researchers will collect numerous blood and stool samples throughout the two-year study and use machine learning and advanced microbiome sequencing to analyze the data.

“What’s unique about this study is that we’re focusing on the holistic well-being of our student-athletes to contribute to both their academic success and what happens on the field or the court,” said Sarah Schodrof, assistant athletic director with Rice University Sports Medicine. “This is a study that’s going to help their long-term health and their professional pursuits after their athletic careers have ended.”

Researchers hope that analyzing the gut microbiomes of these college athletes can lead to the development of personalized treatments for concussions and a system that can be used on the field to detect early signs of mild traumatic brain injury through markers in the microbiome.

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