Publications – Former Athlete Brain Health Research Program

Iverson, G. L., Smith, O. J., Terry, D. P., Boyko, A., & Gardner, A. J. (2026). Mental Health and Perceived Cognitive Decline in Former Elite Rugby League Players With Life Interference Due to Chronic Pain. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000001466

Anns F, Quarrie KL, Milne BJ, Li C, Gardner AJ, Murphy IR, Verhagen E, Wright C, Morton SMB, Lumley T, Tippett L, D’Souza S. Neurodegenerative Diseases in Male Former First-Class New Zealand Rugby Players. Sports Med. 2026 Feb;56(2):543-558. doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02299-y.

Grellman K, Smith OJ, Terry DP, Quarrie KL, Iverson GL, Gardner AJ. Self-Reported Cognitive Difficulties and Their Modifiable Risk Factors in Former Elite Male Rugby League Players. J Neurotrauma. 2025 Aug;42(15-16):1453-1463. doi: 10.1089/neu.2024.0543.

Fortington LV, Cassidy JD, Castellani RJ, Gardner AJ, McIntosh AS, Austen M, Kerr ZY, Quarrie KL. Epidemiological Principles in Claims of Causality: An Enquiry into Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Sports Med. 2025 Feb;55(2):255-274. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02102-4.

Shepherd CE, McCann H, McLean CA, Iverson GL, Gardner AJ. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change in former Australian rugby players. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2024 Apr;50(2):e12972. doi: 10.1111/nan.12972.

D’Souza S, Milne BJ, Li C, Anns F, Gardner A, Lumley T, Morton SMB, Murphy IR, Verhagen E, Wright C, Quarrie K. Kumanu Tāngata: the aftermatch study – protocol to examine the health outcomes of high-level male rugby union players using linked administrative data. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2024 Feb 14;10(1):e001795. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001795.

Iverson GL, Gardner AJ, Castellani RJ, Kissinger-Knox A. Applying the Consensus Criteria for Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome Retrospectively to Case Studies of Boxers from the 20th Century. Neurotrauma Rep. 2024 Apr 3;5(1):337-347. doi: 10.1089/neur.2023.0134.

Iverson GL, Kissinger-Knox A, Huebschmann NA, Castellani RJ, Gardner AJ. A narrative review of psychiatric features of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome as conceptualized in the 20th century. Front Neurol. 2023 Jul 21;14:1214814. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1214814.

McCann H, Bahar AY, Burkhardt K, Gardner AJ, Halliday GM, Iverson GL, & Shepherd CE. (2022). Prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the Sydney Brain Bank. Brain Communications, 4(4):fcac189.

Stanwell P, Iverson GL, Van Patten R, Castellani R, McCrory P, & Gardner AJ. (2022). Examining for Cavum Septum Pellucidum and Ventricular Enlargement in Retired Elite-Level Rugby League Players. Frontiers in Neurology – Neurotrauma, 13:817709.

Iverson GL, & Gardner AJ. (2021). Symptoms of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome are common in the US general population. Brain Communications, 3(1):fcab001.

Iverson GL, Van Patten R, Terry DP, Levi CR, & Gardner AJ. (2021). Predictors and Correlates of Depression in Retired Professional Rugby League Players. Frontiers in Neurology – Neurotrauma, 12:655746.

Van Patten R, Iverson GL, Terry DP, Levi CR, & Gardner AJ. (2021). Predictors and Correlates of Perceived Cognitive Decline in Retired Professional Rugby League Players. Frontiers in Neurology – Neurotrauma, 12:676762

Wright D, Gardner AJ, Wojtowicz MA, Iverson GL, O’Brien T, Shultz S, Stanwell P. (2021). White matter abnormalities in retired professional rugby league players. J Neurotrauma, 38(8):983-988.

Guell X, Arnold Anteraper S, Gardner AJ, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Kay-Lambkin F, Iverson GL, Gabrieli J, & Stanwell P. (2020). Functional Connectivity Changes in Retired Rugby League Players: A Data-Driven, Whole-Brain, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. J Neurotrauma, 37(16):1788-1796.

Iverson GL, & Gardner AJ. (2020). Risk for Misdiagnosing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Men with Anger Control Problems. Frontiers in Neurology – Neurotrauma, 11:739.

Iverson GL, Gardner AJ, Shultz SR, Solomon G, McCrory PE, Zafonte RD, Perry G, Hazrati L, Keene CD, & Castellani R. (2019). Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Neuropathology Might Not Be Inexorably Progressive or Unique to Repetitive Neurotrauma. Brain,142(12):3672-3693

Iverson GL, & Gardner AJ. (2019). Risk for Misdiagnosing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Men with Depression. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 32(2):139-146.

Iverson GL, Terry DP, Luz M, Zafonte R, McCrory P, Solomon GS, & Gardner AJ. (2019). Anger and depression in middle-aged men: Implications for a clinical diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 31(4):328-336.

Wojtowicz M, Gardner AJ, Stanwell P, Zafonte RD, Dickerson B, & Iverson GL. (2018). Cortical and subcortical brain volumes in retired professional rugby league players. NeuroImage: Clinical, 18:377-381.

Manley GT, Gardner AJ, Schneider KJ, Guskiewicz KM, Bailes J, Cantu RC, Castellani RJ, Turner M, Jordan B, Randolph C, Dvořák J, Tator CH, McCrory P, & Iverson GL. (2017). A Systematic Review of Potential Long-Term Effects of Sport-Related Concussion. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(12):969-977.

Gardner AJ, Iverson GL, Wojtowicz M., Levi C.R., Kay-Lambkin F., Schofield P.W., Shultz S.R., Zafonte R.D., Lin A.P., & Stanwell P. (2017). MR Spectroscopy Findings in Retired Professional Rugby League Players. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 38(3):241-252.

Iverson GL, Gardner AJ, McCrory P, Zafonte R, & Castellani R. (2015). A critical review of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 56:276-293.

Gardner AJ, Iverson GL, McCrory P. (2014). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in sport: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 48(2):84-90.