HOPE Study Seeking Contact Sport Athletes – Both Men & Women

What is the Health Outreach Program for the Elderly (HOPE)?

HOPE is a community-based resource that is intended for people with and without memory concerns. Participants will complete annual visits to assess their memory and other thinking skills. Following their visit, participants will receive feedback about their results and will have the opportunity to speak with a clinician. HOPE allows participants to play a more active role in their own healthcare. This study aims to collect a longitudinal set of data on a large, diverse group to advance our knowledge on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Locations in Boston and Needham

HOPE Study Seeking Contact Sport Athletes – Both Men & Women

We are also recruiting participants with a history of contact sports to help us understand how repetitive head impacts affect a person’s risk of developing later-life neurologic disorders.

What is CTE?
CTE is a progressive degenerative brain disease associated with repetitive hits to the head.  This study is designed to develop methods of diagnosing CTE during life.

About the Study
Participation involves a two-day visit once a year to the Boston University School of Medicine. Participants undergo a variety of tests, including a neurologic exam, tests of memory and thinking, mood and behavior questionnaires, blood draw, and an MRI scan of the brain.

You may be eligible if you:

• Live in the Greater Boston Region (within 100 miles of Boston)
• Are at least 50 years old
• Played a minimum of 5 years of any of these sports:
  • Football
  • Boxing
  • Soccer
  • MMA
  • Rugby
  • Ice Hockey

At least 2 of those years occurred at the collegiate, semi-professional, or professional levels

For more information or to participate, please contact Hannah Bruce at hjbruce@bu.edu or 617-358-6545.