Negative Mood States Correlate with Laterobasal Amygdala in Collegiate Football Players

A number of studies have suggested that sports-related concussion (SRC) may place individuals at increased risk for depression and negative outcomes including suicide. However, the mechanisms underlying a potential relationship between brain integrity and mood remain unclear. The current study is aimed at examining the association between amygdala shape, mood state, and postconcussion symptoms in collegiate football players. Thirty members of 1 football team completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the postconcussion symptom scale (PCSS), and an MRI protocol during preseason camp. T1-weighted images were acquired and three-dimensional amygdala and probabilistic maps were created for shape analysis. Correlation analyses between POMS and PCSS and the relationship between POMS and amygdala shape were completed. In the amygdala, the left laterobasal subregion showed a positive relationship with the POMS total score and subscales scores. No significant relationship between PCSS and amygdala shape was found. Significant positive correlations were found between POMS subscales and PCSS. These results indicate that amygdala structure may be more closely associated with negative mood states than postconcussion symptoms. These findings suggest that premorbid individual differences in effect may provide critical insight into the relationship between negative mood and outcomes in collegiate football players with SRC.