Alarming Findings Revealed by Boston University Study Show Further Risks of CTE in NFL Athletes
First of all, CTE stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in individuals who have experienced repeated head injuries, such as those associated with contact sports like football. The symptoms of CTE can include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, aggression, depression, and progressive dementia. The disease can only be diagnosed post-mortem through examination of the brain tissue.
With that being said, nn Monday, Boston University researchers published their latest findings on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) among former NFL players. Out of the 376 former NFL players examined thus far, the researchers found evidence of CTE in 345 cases, a rate of 91.7%. This is a significant increase compared to the meager rate of CTE occurrences in the general population, as demonstrated by a 2018 study that identified CTE in only 1 out of 164 brain samples.
The researchers attribute the high incidence of CTE in former NFL players to repetitive head impacts and emphasize that the results cannot be applied to the entire population of current and former NFL players due to selection biases in the brain bank.
The director of the BU CTE Center, Dr. Ann McKee, emphasized that while the media focuses on the most severe cases of CTE, most individuals with the disease experience symptoms that can be treated. She advises those experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention, and the center has reportedly successfully treated former football players with mid-life mental health problems and other symptoms.
It should be noted that a CTE diagnosis can only be confirmed posthumously. The center highlighted that two players who were diagnosed with CTE in the past year, Rick Arrington and Ed Lothamer, once played for teams competing in Super Bowl LVII.
