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Post by Admin on Jul 26, 2017 14:49:35 GMT -4
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Post by kellythomas087 on Jul 26, 2017 21:11:23 GMT -4
NFL: CTE found in 99%
According to the article, Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a form of neurodegeneration related to repeated head injuries can be associated with sports such as boxing, American football, hockey. This is due to increased pathologic such as cerebral atrophy, tau inclusions. Neuropsychiatric manifestations can include emotional lability, mild incoordination, tremor, decreased complex attention. Reseach into this disease could lead to new insight in Alzheimer patients who have similar manifestations of disordered memory and executive functioning as there is extensive overlap between these two diseases.
Research into CTE might also lead to rule changes in sports that contribute to this disease. For example, while protective equipment can offer extensive protection for the players, it is a double edged sword. With the amount of football gear a player wears, it allows them to smash into the opposing team unrestrained. However, in a sport like rugby, there is very minimal padding, causing players to be more careful and not crash into each other like solid walls.
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Post by Linda Zhang on Jul 26, 2017 22:51:19 GMT -4
NFL: CTE found in 99%
Football makes the most money of all the pro sports, with an average of $2.34billion net worth of each of the 32 teams. And this is just pro sports alone, excluding collegiate and high school teams. In this world, money talks. And being on the football team brings people a certain (imaginary) halo that creates a different ring to it than being in, say, the soccer or bowling league. Even though football players are educated on the risk of traumatic brain injury that could potentially lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, they are still opting to play the game, be it for fame or fortune. Sure we could try to bring more awareness to the unacceptably high levels of CTE found in football players. Or we could push for more spending on research of the condition and development of improved protective wear. We in medicine can do all we can to try to help prevent further traumatic injury to players, but as long as there is still money to be made, people will continue to play.
Every industry has its risks and rewards. Surgeons risk varicose veins from prolonged standing. Secretaries risk carpal tunnel syndrome from typing all day. Sex workers risk contracting STIs/STDs from clients. Football players risk CTE from contact during play. The only difference is that CTE in football is more high profile, with great risk comes great rewards, and vice versa.
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Post by Kristin O'Connor on Jul 27, 2017 15:33:46 GMT -4
Throughout this article it is more and more evident to me that one of the main issues is education. Are parents being educated before they sign their 8 year old boys up for spring football? Are college players educated on what the symptoms of a concussion or head trauma are? Are NFL players educated on the signs and symptoms of CTE? Are their families aware? This is the perfect situation where knowledge is power. The article pointed out multiple instances were individuals sufferings from depression, memory loss, or angry outburst were unaware of what the causes were and that there is available treatments to help cope with some of these symptoms. The more research done, the more knowledge that will be obtained and shared. I hope that this issue continues to make headlines and that people continue to talk about it.
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Post by Desiliette King on Jul 28, 2017 15:47:57 GMT -4
The article is based on research done on the brains of footballers in which CTE was found in 99% of the deceased NFL players' brains. One of the down sides of the research is that CTE can only be confirmed as a diagnoses when the person is deceased. However interestingly enough in some instances where there was mild CTE persons had exhibited some behavioral changes e.g confusion, memory loss, aggression etc. These behavioral and mood symptoms (which were attributed to build up of abnormal tau protein in the brain) in some cases were also noted by the deceased relatives which may have influenced them to donate the brain of the deceased, making the research somewhat bias. This may even cause one to wonder what is the percentage of CTE found in players who show no behavioral or mood symptoms. This research is very informative and beneficial toward the NFL as it pertinent to the health of their athletes.They have put foward millions of dollars to research like this. It is also important that the footballers and other athletes who play these "high-risk" sports that they are informed about the risk of the sport and what precautionary methods they can take.Even though the article is based on football related CTE, CTE is very common among contact related sports especially boxing.
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Post by christophercordeiro on Jul 29, 2017 2:33:14 GMT -4
Being a former athlete and competitive ice hockey player, I always thought taking many hits to the head, even when protected, would lead to negative effects. We already know when someone takes a severe blow to the head, they can have a concussion. This can lead to a post concussive syndrome which has some similarities to CTE. The difference being the chronic nature and accumulation of Tau proteins. Unfortunately, it does not seem like the helmets have made much of an impact on CTE. Hopefully new research can provide us with more insight to help prevent CTE other than cessation of contact sports. Football is a huge sport and has an impact on many lives today. I don't think there could be a life without it, or without any professional sports that have contact involved. I really hope that research will find a way to diagnose CTE early, so we can prevent and monitor the disease.
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Post by Maryse Bakouetila on Jul 30, 2017 22:25:32 GMT -4
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease. It results from multiple hits to the head, and it is mainly diagnosed post-mortem with findings of accumulation of the tau protein in the brain. It is a real disease, and it has behavioral manifestations such as depression, increased aggression, and suicidal attempts. It is actually a great step forward to see this condition being addressed and to see that the NFL is investing money in research for CTE. I remember watching the movie Concussion depicting the battle of a doctor and some NFL players to demonstrate that CTE was a real condition, as it certainly would mean loosing money for the big NFL industry. It is a big step forward to see it being discussed in the open and to see awareness being made. The fact that there is currently no number of hits identified and that the incidence is varied due to genetics will be an issue in addressing CTE. I expect some people to minimize it, since it does not affect everyone. This would lead to continued exposure to dangerous hits without precaution. My hope is that the awareness about CTE progresses, and that more people come forward and get involved, so that we can get a better grasp on this condition, caused by physical hits and manifesting with psychological symptoms.
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Post by Mario Mejia on Jul 31, 2017 10:30:44 GMT -4
Today we are at a point where there is a real possibility of football coming to an end. Recently, Ben Roethlisberger, a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a player that has been among the best at his position for over a decade is considering retirement because of new evidence emerging from this study. While there is still much to learn about CTE, the information coming out is enough to scare anyone away from the violent sport. As it states in the article some players might think they are already "damaged" and there is nothing that can be done for them, but that may not be the majority of current or future players in the NFL. From the small sample size it would appear that the severity of CTE increased with the level of football that the patients reached with more severe cases coming from past NFL players. Yes it is true that advances are being made everyday to ensure the safety of the players but I am not convinced that we will ever reach a point where concussions and similar trauma to the head will be completely removed form the game.
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Riuyinosa Egharevba
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Post by Riuyinosa Egharevba on Jul 31, 2017 10:42:28 GMT -4
According to the article CTE is found mostly in individuals that have been exposed to repetitive, traumatic head injury. Is is typically seen in high impact contact sports such as football, boxing, wrestling and rugby. Under autopsy CTE brains have been marked by buildup of tau proteins.These individual exhibit aggression, marked cognitive impairment, depression and suicidality. The long term effects of repetitive head trauma is currently being studied. Clinical history as well as behavior of patients with diseased brain were studied. Severity of disease was based on amount of buildup of tau protein in the brain.
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Post by Omar Perez on Jul 31, 2017 17:00:17 GMT -4
This is an interesting topic as it is relevant to many contact sports. More research into CTE is indicated in order to be able to develop better ways to protect professional athletes. Also it would be interesting to study the relationship between CTE, psychiatric conditions such as depression, dementia and any possible behavioral changes. The epidemiological study immediately presents with limitations due to the best method of determining CTE is via brain autopsies. Research into other methods of detecting CTE should be the first priority in this topic. Other interesting point would be to determine what degree of trauma cause CTE.
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Post by Ingrid Villanueva on Jul 31, 2017 17:09:52 GMT -4
The article for me raises questions about how there is a real connection between CTE and depression and anxiety. I may see a relation between motor problems, and neurological problems caused by CTE due to the physical impact of contact sports. However, as the article states there are many questions still unanswered due to the fact that pathology can only be seen postmortem. Is the depression and anxiety related directly to CTE or as an indirect aspect of CTE? For example the physical implications and how these may cause the patients (players) to develop anxiety and or depression? There is still a need for studies to be able to draw more certain conclusions about the mental health impact of CTE.
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Post by Monica Gifford on Aug 1, 2017 17:43:46 GMT -4
It is not surprising to hear that many deceased football players have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This condition can result in psychiatric presentations like depression, aggression and anxiety. This has all come to light as many football players have allowed their brains to be examined after they have passed away. It is nice to see that the NFL is committed to helping with the research for neuroscience by donating $100 million to better protect their players in the future as this disease is preventable.
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Post by Russell Garcia on Aug 1, 2017 19:03:03 GMT -4
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) The article discusses a study on CTE published in the medical journal JAMA. The neurodegenerative disease is found in individuals that are repeatedly exposed to head trauma and draws conclusions based on postmortem findings of abnormally high levels of "tau" protein in the brains of football players. It is common for football players to collide with each other to initiate an effective tackle; i collision causes the brain to violently collide with the inner surface of the skull. The results of the study might be used to alter the rules and policies of professional, college, and high-school football. The study findings may guide the development of better protective equipment for players. Overall, the main focus is protecting this population from CTE and related diseases. There is a similar situation in organized MMA. The rules state that a person cannot use a 12-6 elbow because it has been used by martial artists to break through concrete blocks. Because the move can fracture concrete blocks, it's considered "brutal" and banned in organized MMA. This rule was meant to protect fighters from acute head trauma and it partially accomplishes that goal. That rule is not enough. Shin kicks to the head, spinning elbows to the head, 11-7 elbows, and knees to the head are still legal in organized MMA, all of which could potentially break through concrete/wooden barriers. Are these techniques causing traumatic brain injury? Nobody will know until organized unbiased studies of traumatic brain injury in organized contact sports are published and their results tested and accepted by the medical community. Until then, officials continue to use personal judgement to make policies regarding which techniques are safe and unsafe. The most useful information from this article is from the segment on awareness where the author urges players to seek help before symptoms develop. A call to action can be beneficial for those players that feel hopeless; it's important for them to know that the disease and it's symptoms are treatable. Thank you for sharing this article. Four-to-six elbow Technique |
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Post by Nikki Brar on Aug 1, 2017 19:03:38 GMT -4
This is an interesting topic as it can be related to many contact sports. This article stated that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy was found in 99% of deceased NFL players brains donated to research. With such astounding results, I think more people ought to be aware of the dramatic effects on the brain as a result of repeated head trauma. I think one of the most important messages to take away from this article is that if such a diagnosis is being made, it is important to follow up with education. Not only should those already involved in the football community be educated but those who may be interested in it in the future as well. Besides the fact that more studies will be conducted to further investigate this matter, the knowledge that has already been discovered should be passed along to parents and children in both high school and college to ensure they are aware about the potential detrimental effects that this may have on your brain. Along with being informed about the prevalence of these long term effects, I think it is important to delve into preventative measures and undergo further testing to reduce a bias and get clearer, more concise data on this matter.
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Post by Anis Said on Aug 2, 2017 9:35:30 GMT -4
It seems imperative that organized sports needs to modify some of their rules and regulations in response to articles and researches like this. This article shows that there is no doubt that contact sports increase the chances for Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Not only does NFL need to pay more attention, other sports such as soccer should also be aware of CTE and try to minimize the usage of the head and reduce head trauma as much as possible. This disease can only be prevented and it cannot be diagnosed without an autopsy. In a way, healthcare professionals should deal with this disease seriously like they deal with Alzheimer’s.
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