Further confirming the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the NFL is the recent examination by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) of linebacker Junior Seau’s brain. Seau, who retired from play after 20 years and was a well-liked, cheerful figure in San Diego, committed suicide unexpectedly at the young age of 43, and his family donated his brain to the NIH for study. It is just further sad confirmation of the Boston University study [TA 6 Dec] that this progressive disorder which occurs as a consequence of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury is the NFL’s scourge. Perhaps it is unavoidable in the game at present, as columnist George Will believes [TA 3 August]. There is now also increasing evidence that even without CTE, living NFL players are at high risk of other brain-related diseases, such as cognitive deficiencies and depression, based on a University of Texas at Dallas study. Seau Suffered From Brain Disease (NY Times) Retired NFL Players at Risk of Brain Deficits (MedPageToday)
For our readers: Do you believe that sensors in helmets and EHRs can mitigate this, which is where the NFL (and Army-NFL) funding is directed? Is this being found in other countries in contact sports such as rugby? Is there evidence, in other countries’ armed forces which have participated in Iraq and Afghanistan action, of suspected high frequencies of brain trauma?
Related: National Football League Readies New EHR System To Boost Care Quality for Players (includes Olympics and NBA) (iHealthBeat audio interview 06:13 and PDF transcript) NEW: CTE, as cumulative, starts early Institute of Medicine Studying Concussions in Young Athletes (NY Times)
Most Recent Comments