Longitudinal changes in frontopolar cortex activity during postural tasks in collegiate ice hockey athletes.

Significance: The effects of repetitive head impacts through contact sport participation remain poorly understood. Longitudinal assessments of their influence on neurophysiological and cognitive-motor changes can provide insights into brain function and athlete health. Aim: We aimed to quantify the effects of repetitive head impact exposure from a season of ice hockey participation on cortical neurophysiology during single- and dual-task standing balance tasks. Approach: We compared frontopolar oxyhemoglobin concentration changes longitudinally during standing balance tasks using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Similarly, we compared motor performance from postural assessments, quantified through inertial measurement units. To quantify cognitive performance, serial-7 subtraction task accuracy was recorded. Results: Following a season of contact sport, increased frontopolar cortex activity was observed during both single- and dual-task postural tasks. In addition, longitudinal increases in transverse and coronal sway velocities were observed. Despite these changes in neurophysiology and postural control, cognitive task performance (serial-7 subtraction) remained unchanged from pre- to postseason. Conclusions: Contact sport participation alters cortical neurophysiology and cognitive-motor performance, with more pronounced longitudinal changes in frontopolar prefrontal cortex activity during weight-bearing cognitive tasks.