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A new study has revealed that 96 percent (96%) of a group of deceased NFL players tested positive for a brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Ninety-one (91) former NFL players agreed to offer their brains to researchers, upon their demise. After examining them, fields experts from Boston University and from the Department of Veterans Affairs informed that 87 of the brains were positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative disease suspected of being the result of repeated head injuries, head trauma, and concussions. The condition often leads to memory loss, impaired judgment, confusion, depression, aggression, poor impulse control, and even progressive dementia.
On top of this, the researchers also took a look at 165 living individuals who either played football in high school, in college, semi-professionally, or professionally. They saw that the brains of 131 of them also tested positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
The main pattern that emerges was that 40 percent (40%) of the living subjects with the degenerative disease were either defensive or offensive linemen, players well known for their habit of regularly coming into contact with each other.
The results of the new study back up earlier studies which concluded that minor yet frequent and repeated head traumas pose a greater risk to football player’s health than the any violent collision which results in a concussion.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that chronic traumatic encephalopathy can’t be identified with complete certainty unless the subjects is dead, and that the deceived NFL players who offered their brains to researchers did so because they suspected that they may suffer from the degenerative disease.
Some of the famous NFL players who had chronic traumatic encephalopathy include Dave Duerson, Junior Seau, and Ray Easterling. All three (3) of them ended up committing suicide.
And since last year, Sidney Rice and Chris Borland bith announced their retirement due to growing concerns about their brain health.
The NFL is determined to find a way to make the game safer. A spokesman gave a statement saying that “We are dedicated to making football safer and continue to take steps to protect players, including rule changes, advanced sideline technology, and expanded medical resources”.
He went on to add that they will continue to finance researchers in hope of gaining a better understanding pf these issues.
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