Know, treat head trauma symptoms
Though not a random sample, the data disclosed by Boston University researchers on cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) found in a select group of deceased NFL players still hits with the impact of a head-on collision.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is the term used to describe the degeneration of the brain likely caused by repeated head traumas over a considerable period of time.
Out of the 376 former players studied, BU researchers say they diagnosed 345 of them with CTE.
In contrast with that alarming rate, a 2018 BU study of brains donated to the Framingham Heart Study detected CTE in only 1 of 164 samples (0.6%), with the sole case being a former college football player.
The disparity in these numbers, no matter the population groups studied, should give pause to individuals of any age participating in contact sports or other activities, especially football.
Of course, the BU researchers realize these targeted results don’t reflect the percentage of current NFL players who may have some degree of CTE.
That’s because these donated brain-bank samples are subject to selection biases. The prevalence of CTE among NFL players isn’t known, since it can only be diagnosed after death.
“While the most tragic outcomes in individuals with CTE grab headlines, we want to remind people at risk for CTE that those experiences are in the minority,” stated Ann Mckee, director of the BU CTE Center and chief of neuropathology at VA Boston Healthcare System.
“Your symptoms, whether or not they are related to CTE, likely can be treated, and you should seek medical care,” Mckee said. “Our clinical team has had success treating former football players withmidlife mental health and other symptoms.”
While there isn’t universal agreement on the signs of CTE, it’s been linked to memory and thinking problems, confusion, personality changes, and erratic behavior, including aggression, depression and even suicidal thinking.
The center noted that two players diagnosed with CTE in the past year, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Rick Arrington and former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Ed Lothamer, played for the teams appearing in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.
Last July, BU doctors posthumously diagnosed NFL receiver Demaryius Thomas with CTE. His parents said he had suffered from erratic behavior and paranoia in his final years.
The NFL made changes to its concussion protocol last fall after fielding criticism for the way Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s initial and subsequent injuries were handled.
Research on CTE has advanced considerably over the past five years.
BU’S Center, which conducts innovative research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma in athletes and military personnel, will soon publish its 182nd study on CTE.
In part because of advances in CTE research, the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke recently updated their position on its cause: “CTE is a delayed neurodegenerative disorder that was initially identified in postmortem brains and, researchto- date suggests, is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries.”
The BU Center’s also collaborating with its education and advocacy partner, the Concussion Legacy Foundation, to recruit former football players and other contact sport athletes to five active clinical studies.
One of the studies, Project S. A.V.E., is recruiting men and women ages 50 or older who played five-plus years of a contact sport, including football, ice hockey, soccer, lacrosse, boxing, full contact martial arts, rugby and wrestling.
While it’s probably assumed that football, hockey and boxing are the most susceptible CTE sports, in other lesser contact sports like soccer, head contact is a common occurrence.
That’s why as part of the U.S. Soccer Concussion Initiative, children 10 years or under are no longer allowed to head the ball in practice or games, while players ages 11-13 can do so during games, but are limited during practice.
To learn more about Project S. A.V.E. and four other studies enrolling participants, visit www.bu.edu/cte/our-research/ clinical-research/.