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Boxing Head Trauma

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Does boxing or mixed martial arts cause the most head trauma? When you look at the research from analysts, you find that boxing does cause a few more head blows, but both have been linked to slower cognitive processing speeds and a smaller volume in certain parts of the brain. These repeated head blows have been shown to have an increased risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. A well-known form of dementia, CTE causes a degenerative disease that has been linked to impulse control problems, confusion, memory problems, impaired judgment, depression and progressive dementia.

Despite how this can affect a fighter's brain health, people continue to treat. In a study from the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study, 224 professional fighters and 93 boxers had been involved in the study. They looked at these athletes between 18 and 44, and they looked at how long these professionals had fought. It averaged out to around four years with 10 matches each. When it came to race, 89 were white 59 were black and 76 were from other races. Researchers compared the athletes who had similar education levels, but they did not have a history of brain injury. …show more content…
After four years, they returned for another brain scan. What all did they test? Researchers looked at fine motor skills, reaction times and verbal memory. Researchers also examined the Fight Exposure Score that combined both the intensity and the duration of a person's fighting career. After crunching numbers, they learned something shocking. The athletes who had a FES score of four had an 8.8 percent slower processing speed than individuals with a zero score. In addition, higher scores had a smaller brain volume in the caudate and thalamus regions. This area had been linked to decision-making, and it is responsible for voluntary

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