Football & Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

Just this week, The Washington Post published an article citing a study done at Boston University School of Medicine and the VA Boston Healthcare System, examining 202 brains that had belonged to men who had played football at all levels and were donated for research.

Of these brains, 87% demonstrated the symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the condition resembling Alzheimer's for all intents and purposes, as featured in the recent movie, Concussion, starring Will Smith.

Narrowing the experimental field to only look at the brains of former NFL players, an alarming 99% of former NFL players showed the symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

99% percent, folks.

This is extremely sad and alarming. I love football. I love watching it and playing it, and I hate that this sport has been silently damaging the minds and lives of these heroes for so many years.

As the article said, granted, this wasn't a comprehensive study; the sample was drawn from a pool of concerned relatives, but still, it's difficult to argue with 99% positive results for NFL players.

I wish the helmet redesigners well; I hope that the no head-to-head collision rule helps reduce the number of on-field concussions for the younger players entering the game today.

However, I say a few more things to this:

1) We need to do outreach for football players today. And for the aging.

We need to see if we can help remap and rehabilitate their capabilities, to preserve what they have, so they may hold on to it longer. From the research I've been reading, there seems to be a guiding thread for the brain's need for novel stimulation throughout life. As we age, our world closes in. It grows smaller. We take fewer risks; we don't expose our thought patterns or bodies to new ways; we don't just lose the ability to learn; it seems to me that we gave up on learning to begin with.

2) We need to reconsider Severe and Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries

Granted, CTE was originally a condition for boxers who were exposed to multiple blows to the head, as a result of their occupation, but what about other athletes, who may have less obvious brain injuries, such as gymnasts, cheerleaders, lacrosse players, and so on?

From other reading I've done on the subject of CTE, people with severe or even mild TBIs are at risk of developing CTE. Granted, even as shown in this recent study, it's not a definite thing, but it can happen, and this means CTE is not a condition relegated to the elite.

This means, if you've been in a traffic accident and had a concussion, bonked your head a few times at camp or PE, or banged your head to heavy metal back in the day, you may be at risk, which leads to the next point.

3) Take care of your brain

First, be a good owner. Feed it well. Get enough hours of high quality sleep to replenish your brain. Don't overstress or worry. Do things that bring and maintain happiness in your life. Get your heart pumping at a moderate level for thirty minutes, three times a week. Go outside, get fresh air and sunshine.

And as above, seek stimulating activity. Engage in new classes, work with your hands, learn a new musical instrument, dance, cook, and so on.

#Concussion #NFL #Football #ChronicTraumaticEncephalopathy