Brain Health in Combat Sports

A research-based documentary film exploring actionable ways fighters and martial artists can better protect brain health and reduce the risks of injury in MMA and kickboxing.

This video was made in collaboration with Dr. Barry Narapareddy, a neuropsychiatrist, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and MMA coach. Narapeddy is part of the research team behind The Professional Fighters Brain Health Study, a joint effort between the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins University. He is currently at Mayo Clinic Florida, where he is developing a comprehensive TBI program.

Video features Julie Kedzie, Dre Herd, Erik Magraken and Roxanne Modafferi.

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Studies

Three specific studies discussed in the documentary are:

  1. Earlier Age of First Exposure to Competitive Fighting Has an Adverse Impact on Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Brain Volume https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212...

  2. Effect of Weight Class on Regional Brain Volume, Cognition, and Other Neuropsychiatric Outcomes among Professional Fighters https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...

  3. Sparring and the Brain: The Associations between Sparring and Regional Brain Volumes in Professional Mixed Martial Arts Fighters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36972...

Brain Donations

While this documentary is not affiliated with the Concussion Legacy Foundation, we firmly support their important work.

If you would like to learn more about committing to donate your brain for research, check out the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s Research Registry.