...! ! ! ! ! ! Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! There is a dark cloud hanging over the world of contact sports and it is growing at an alarming rate. With the size and speed of today’s athletes, the sports of football and hockey have become more exciting, fast paced, wide open, and fun to watch. However, there is another consequence of these ever growing athletes on their sports. They have made the collisions in them increasingly more violent. The velocity that these athletes hurl themselves through the air has created an atmosphere that could not have been imagined when these sports were created. First described in the year 1928 (McKee 2010), Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. ! CTE is famously regarded to be the cause of retired NFL linebacker, Junior Seau’s suicide. The disease deteriorated his brain and hindered his ability to think logically. Seau is not the only retired NFL player found to have had CTE through autopsy following their death. Mike Webster was the first football player found to have CTE, when scientists found the characteristic buildup of the tau protein in his brain. Another significant find in CTE affected brains such as his, includes the shrinkage of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and thinking processes. The disease was originally noticed in boxers, first being called “punch drunk.” These boxers were described as...
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...Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative disease, often found in American football players, can cause individuals who suffer from the disease many mental and physical disturbances. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a form of taupathy, which is a progressive degenerative disease found in people who have suffered a severe blow to the head. According to Brandon E. Gavett, a Ph. D writing a research paper on the effects of CTE,chronic traumatic encephalopathy is mainly found in professional competing in American football and it can also affect high school players who have played for a mere few years. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy was first recognized in the 1920’s as a disease that developed in boxers, but as the decades went by...
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...Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy CTE is a deterioration of the brain and can also be defined as a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is caused by repetitive head trauma. CTE first came along in 1928 and was described by New Jersey medical examiner, Dr. Harrison Martland. Martland began to notice a group of related symptoms in boxers (confusion, speech problems, tremors, and slow movement). He published an article entitled “Punch Drunk,” in which he describes the boxers as, “cuckoo,” “goofy,” “cutting paper dolls,” or “slug nutty” (Journal of the American Association, 1928). Later, this was termed dementia pugilistica, which actually means dementia of a fighter. With the growth of our sports like American football, symptoms of CTE were being reported in a number of athletes other than boxers and in the 1960s, it was renamed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE has become a very popular topic because of its close association with American football, soccer hockey, boxing, and professional wrestling. Several of the affected athletes are retired, but have struggled in their late years with anger, depression, substance abuse, memory/motor disturbances, and suicide. Autopsy results from these particular athletes have proposed a link between these cognitive, emotional, and physical manifestations and CTE. In addition to athletes, soldiers have become another group of concern being that many are returning from the battlefield and have brain injuries along with blast...
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...Traumatic Brain Injuries Related to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases Shelby R. Barnhill Grossmont College Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau deposits throughout the brain, specifically in the form of neurofibrillary tangles, astrocytic tangles and threadlike neuropil neurites. Exposure to repetitive brain trauma, including concussions, contusions, and others, most likely result in CTE or other common neurodegenerative diseases. CTE can potentially affect military veterans who were exposed to explosions or other blast related injuries, as well as contact sport athletes with a history of repetitive head impacts. Before research was done on other athletes, it was most commonly found in boxers, and was known as “dementia pugilistica” or “punch drunk”. This disease can be potentially related to over 14 other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a...
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...Social and Personal Effects of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Madison McCoy The social and personal effects of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) have many aspects and have been recorded by many institutions. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease caused by head trauma (Yuan pg 1). The diagnosis of this disease is difficult, considering it can only be done post-mortem during an autopsy. When performing brain biopsies, searching for the neurofibrillary tangles is not a practical option for an early diagnosis of CTE. CTE is more commonly known as concussions, and are usually caused by sport injuries. Symptoms of CTE include irritability, aggression, suicidal thoughts, memory problems, motor impairment and much...
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...What characteristic do Junior Seau, Mike Webster, and Dave Duerson share? These three football players, among many others, had a neurodegenerative disease, called “Chronic traumatic encephalopathy” or CTE for short. The disease is the result of having multiple concussions over many years. Since people had never heard of this disease decades before, so when a player got hit in the head it was natural for the coach to leave the player in the game. As time goes on, society continues to learn what this disease is and its harmful effects such as depression and increased risk of suicide. In turn, the NFL improved how it combats CTE because of rule changes, the introduction of new tackling techniques, and the implementation of new technology to keep...
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...teams earned throughout the season. A total of 1,696 players played for 32 teams in 2014. Football is the most physical athletic sport played, in the Untied states of America. Injuries are often expected to occur to players each year. However, most players only expect to miss a few games before they return from an injury, not realizing the potential risk of long term injury. Every play on a National Football League field consists of head to head contact between some player, or with the ground. Retired National Football League players have proceeded to file a civil lawsuit against the National Football League because, studies have found that the helmet to helmet contact experienced in the games and practice, is causes a disease called Chronic Traumactic Enephalopathy (CTE). Statement of the Problems In order to understand if players should be allowed to file a lawsuit against the National Football League, we need to better understand exactly...
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...classified as a traumatic brain injury. * Concussions can also be caused by an excessive blow to the body that causes a person’s head to move back and forth, which causes the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull. * Concussions within the National Football League have become a serious health risk due to the fact that athletes were playing in games before their concussions had completely healed, which puts athletes vulnerable to increased injury. * Many retired NFL football players have suffered memory and cognitive issues, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and depression. Indicators of Concussions * During the 2012 NFL football season, there were 265 concussions reported. * From the 2010 season to the 2012 season, the amount of concussions per season only decreased from 270 to 265. * In the 2012, players who suffered concussions have been linked to severe memory loss, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and player suicide. * Mike Webster’s death in 2002 was the first to relate concussions in the NFL with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and death. * In 2012, autopsies of Ray Easterling and Junior Seau both showed evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. * This concerning evidence led to relation of concussions and deaths for several more NFL players. * Chris Henry, a former Cincinnati Bengals football player, had an autopsy that revealed signs of neurofibrillary tangles related to chronic traumatic...
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...can be extended if the victim does not report his/her concussion. This is frequently the case, as 25% of people who suffer a concussion are never “assessed” by medical professionals (“11 Facts About”). In the brains of dead NFL players, there is a certain phenomenon found called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE. CTE is “the term used to describe brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas,” (“Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy”). CTE can only be found in the brain during an autopsy, so a definite diagnosis is not possible for a live human (“Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy”). The symptoms of CTE are a little more intense than a concussion, including “difficulty thinking, depression, short-term memory loss, emotional instability, and even suicidal thoughts,” (“Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy”). People believe that CTE causes areas of the brain to “waste away,” and brain cells can not communicate as well as normal (“Chronic Traumatic...
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...recent and rapidly developing topic in the world of competitive sports is the effects of concussions, and traumatic brain injury to athletes. Concussions were once thought to be an individual type of occurrence, however, it is now learned that brain injury from impacts, can have long term cumulative impact on the brain and mental health. This disorder is now known as CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. In the early 20th century, this was initially called dementia pugilistica, after doctors began noticing that boxers were sustaining brain injuries after repeated impacts to the head. Mild Traumatic Brain injuries are commonly called concussions, which is an invisible injury. A concussion is caused by rapid acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull, .A mild traumatic brain injury or concussion is usually downplayed, due to the fact that a single occurrence usually does not lead to any long term serious health issues. A Traumatic Brain injury would be considered a serious concussion. Any type of concussion, mild or major can cause physical issues, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, and feelings of fatigue and lethargy. These injuries can also lead cognitive difficulties and affect the ability to concentrate and disrupt short term memory. This commonly resolves within hours or days for a mild event, and upwards of 6 months for a traumatic or more severe concussion....
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...Have you ever seen a brutal or bloody head-to-head collision that has taken place on the football field? This is an occurring issue that we see happen in our daily lives. Every now and then, you hear in the news about an athlete coming down with a concussion. Concussions arise when an athlete experiences a vicious blow to the brain. Over the years, the National Football League has made efforts to make the game safer by implementing helmets and protective gear. But the use of safety equipment in the NFL has still not solved the problem of a degenerative brain disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). “In CTE, a protein called Tau forms clumps that slowly spread throughout the brain, killing brain cells” (Concussion para. 1). CTE...
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...Professor Campbell Shawn Ryan English 101 4/30/15 Concussions; Worse Than They Appear There is no better past time in the United States of America than American football. American football has been the favorite sport in America for the past decades. However, there have been studies which prove that football is incredibly dangerous to the players health. Studies have shown that football has caused concussions to players, damaged players permanently, and the higher chance of a shorter life. From thorough amounts of research; it’s proven that football causes concussions. Concussions occur when “the brain repeatedly collides with the skull, most often due to a blow to the head. Violent shaking of the head and upper body also can cause concussions”(Concussion Management in Football: Don't Shake It Off). Contrary to popular belief, concussions won’t always make the individual go unconscious for a period of time. Yes, that is true, but not all the time. Chris Miller, a retired quarterback, experienced the effects of a concussions when “he was knocked out of bounds and flew headfirst into equipment storage bins on the sideline. He got up and walked back to the huddle. The wrong huddle. Miller was confused, an effect of the concussion” (Concussion Management in Football: Don't Shake It Off). Although Miller didn’t lose consciousness, he still experienced a devastating concussion. After Miller got his first concussion all the rest concussions have been...
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...can only do so much to protect you. If a player is constantly taking blows to the head the chances of getting a concussion increase. Players can be affected by these hits even after they have stopped playing the game. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a disease that may occur up to ten years after someone stops playing the sport. Head Injuries in Football Football Related Head Injuries Introduction: I. Attention Getter: Imagine you’re an NFL quarterback taking a three step drop, you have 5 seconds if that to get rid of the ball before a 350 pound defensive lineman comes charging at you and throws you to the ground, as your falling you slam your head against the ground causing your brain to rattle against your skull. You now have a concussion and will watch from the sideline the rest of the game. II. Thesis Statement: “No guts, No glory,” is a very popular saying when it comes to football, however is permanent brain damage worth all the glory? III. Preview of Speech: Helmets are very helpful; however they can only do so much to protect you. If a player is constantly taking blows to the head the chances of getting a concussion increase. Players can be affected by these hits even after they have stopped playing the game. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a disease that may...
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...Tiaina Baul” Junior “Seau was a linebacker in the NFL known as a passionate and powerful athlete. He used his body and head for 20 years in the NFL. Pain and injury was his specialty which he bragged about.. His wife and daughter said that right after retirement his life started falling apart and he began to act strangely. He was unattached and forgetting which developed into a quick temper and he started gambling. He committed suicide on My 12,2012 in Oceanside CA. The final diagnosis is Seau's case was Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Every year between 1.6 and 3.8 million individuals suffer from sports related concussions. The accumulation of these concussive and sub concussive hit to the head can cause a progressive neurodegenerative disease known as Chronic traumatic encephalopathy which was first...
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...impacted that cause the head and brain to shake back and forth quickly. It usually results in headache, confusion, lack of coordination, memory loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, ringing in the ears, sleepiness, and excessive fatigue. Patient might or might not lose their consciousness, however they will all present with temporary symptoms. There is no specific cure for the disease, however, rest and restricting activities allow the brain to recover. Second, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease which occurs when patient have a history of repetitive brain trauma. It’s symptoms are memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, progressive dementia and include concussion. Dr. Bennet Omalu, main character in this movie, developed the theory of CTE by postmortem examination. He examined the body of former NFL football player Mike Webster. He discovered that the disease is similar to Alzheimer's disease. He names the disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Omalu supports his theory by collect data to show how head injury during athletic games impact the disease. The...
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