Sport-related trauma and motor neurone disease: a scoping review of epidemiology, mechanisms and future directions.

OBJECTIVE

To map existing epidemiological evidence assessing the relationship of sport-related trauma and Motor Neurone Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (MND/ALS), identify potential mechanistic pathways through which athletic exposures may influence disease risk and highlight gaps informing future research priorities.

DESIGN

Scoping Review. Online databases were used to retrieve data from available sources to 25 September 2025.

DATA SOURCES: Published and grey literature in English were identified through searches of ProQuest Central, Web of Science, Scopus, Sport Discus and PubMed. Studies were deemed eligible if they examined MND/ALS in the context of sport-related physical trauma.

METHODS

The scoping review was carried out in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A three-step search strategy identified primary studies, secondary literature and grey literature. Following screening, data were extracted using a standardised charting tool to develop a descriptive analysis and thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

The search identified 3307 records, with 45 studies meeting inclusion criteria. General physical activity does not elevate MND/ALS risk; however, professional participation in high-impact sports, particularly those involving repetitive head impacts, has been associated with a 4-15-fold increased risk of MND/ALS. However, current evidence is largely descriptive, correlative and lacks mechanistic insights to verify causation.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review highlights a plausible association between repeated physical trauma in sport and MND/ALS, particularly in professional sports with high exposure to repeated head impacts. Future research should identify biological mechanisms linking trauma exposure with MND/ALS, integrating biomarker, experimental and longitudinal study designs to clarify causal mechanisms and inform risk mitigation in sport.