SYRACUSE, N.Y., March 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HOF Players Foundation, Inc. ("HOF Players Foundation"), established by members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Quadrant Biosciences Inc. ("Quadrant Biosciences") have announced a partnership to monitor the brain health of retired NFL athletes using the company's unique assessment tools.

HOF Players Foundation is a Georgia nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting legendary NFL players who are now facing personal difficulties and health challenges.  Quadrant Biosciences, a Life Science company focused on functional assessment tools and epigenetic biomarkers for various brain health disorders, represents an important step in addressing some of these health concerns among its members.  Through the partnership, Quadrant Biosciences will assemble a group of highly-respected health care professionals and researchers to monitor the player's progress, and to document recommended treatments, diet plans and results.

Growing concern among former professional football players over the status of their brain health after retiring from the sport prompted HOF Player's Foundation to seek out Quadrant Biosciences and their assessment tools. "Our fundamental objective is the well-being of our players and their families," said Paul Krause, a 1998 inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and member of HOF Player Foundation's Board of Directors.  "So we are excited to partner with a company like Quadrant Biosciences and deploy their unique brain health assessment tools, such as the ClearEdge Brain Health Toolkit, in a long term monitoring program for our players and their spouses.  By documenting our physical and mental challenges, the results will offer a clearer understanding of our issues, providing current and future players with a better quality of life than we have endured."

The ClearEdge Brain Health Toolkit ("ClearEdge"), developed in cooperation with researchers and clinicians at SUNY Upstate Medical University, is a collection of FDA-cleared and listed functional assessments designed to monitor and track subtle changes in cognitive function, balance and patient symptoms over time.  Certified ClearEdge clinicians located in their community will meet regularly with the players and their spouses to monitor their health, provide therapeutic options, perform the ClearEdge assessments and explain results and progress.

In addition to the ClearEdge testing, Quadrant Biosciences will be collecting saliva samples as part of its groundbreaking research into epigenetic biomarkers for brain health disorders.  Testing is planned to commence in April 2018, with additional participants added starting in July 2018.

Dr. Anthony Petraglia, Quadrant Bioscience Chief Medical Officer and Neurosurgeon at Rochester Regional Health in Rochester, N.Y., explained the rationale behind the brain health monitoring.  "[This testing battery] will enable us to longitudinally monitor patients with regards to their brain health; not unlike the way we screen heart and kidney function with age.  This will further our ability to utilize practical functional and epigenetic biomarkers to assess changes in brain function over time and determine the efficacy of various therapeutics targeting brain aging and disease."

Dr. Petraglia explained the real benefit in monitoring the players using ClearEdge and epigenetic saliva tests.  "The real opportunity here is to try and improve quality of life by using objective and reliable tools to very accurately track how each individual reacts to the care they are provided."  He added that the information gleaned from the study promises to have benefits for coming generations of players and others as well.  "This study could benefit not just [these] athletes but the greater population as a whole; and allow us to become more proactive and less reactive when it comes to brain health and wellness."

Quadrant Biosciences Founder and CEO Richard Uhlig expressed how honored he and his company are to be able to participate in this cooperative program, stating that "we are so grateful to these incredible athletes and dedicated and supporting spouses for entrusting Quadrant Biosciences with the opportunity to monitor their Brain Health and work together to improve their quality of life.  We look forward to a long and successful partnership"

Jack Youngblood, former Los Angeles Rams Defensive End and Pro Football Hall of Fame member explained that the partnership with Quadrant Biosciences and brain health monitoring is so important because "the most difficult part is not knowing if or how your brain health is changing, especially in ways that can be subtle and hard to see unless you have a way of monitoring it objectively over time.  Being able to be regularly tested by a clinician close to home, see my results in an understandable report, and discuss those with an expert will make a huge difference.  Having this expert guidance and support is exactly what we retired players and our families need right now."

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Quadrant Biosciences Inc. is a Life science company involved in the development of functional assessments and epigenetic diagnostic solutions for large-scale health issues.  The company participates in the Start-up NY program, a New York State economic development program.  Quadrant Biosciences has also entered into collaborative research relationships with a number of institutions including SUNY Upstate Medical University and Penn State University to explore and develop novel biomarker technologies with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder, concussion, and Parkinson's Disease.  For more information about the ClearEdge toolkit, visit www.clearedgetest.com.  For information about the company, or if interested in participating in the testing, contact Quadrant Biosciences at info@QuadrantBiosciences.com or visit their website at www.QuadrantBiosciences.com.  

HOF Players Foundation is committed to assisting and honoring members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, whose immeasurable contributions to the sport of football are the legacy of the NFL.  Funds raised provide assistance with meeting basic needs, particularly to those who played the game in the early years.  If you are interested in learning more about the HOF Player Foundation, please visit www.hofplayersfoundation.org.

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SOURCE Quadrant Biosciences Inc.