WebProNews

Tag: chronic traumatic encephalopathy

  • “Concussion” Movie: Hollywood On Board in Protecting Athletes

    Concussion–the movie about athletes who sustain concussions during play–presents one of the hottest health topics in sports circles to its viewers. With Hollywood on board with this topic, the film might do as much good as doctors have in spreading the word about the dangers involved.

    Premiering on Christmas Day, Concussion stars Will Smith as Nigerian-born forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu. He is the doctor who discovered a disorder similar to Alzheimer’s–called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE–while doing an autopsy on a former NFL player. He then went on a crusade to make the public aware of the dangers of football-related head injuries.

    Since Dr. Omalu’s research began more than 10 years ago, the public has learned a lot about these sports-related blows to the head.

    Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre spoke to CBS This Morning about his injuries and the memory loss he sustained as a result.

    “This was a little shocking to me that I couldn’t remember my daughter playing youth soccer,” Favre said.

    A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury, typically caused by a blow or jolt to the head.

    Concussion, the movie, proves football is dangerous and makes one wonder if it’s really a sport, according to the Huffington Post.

    The publication’s review of Concussion says the movie’s end credits will “stir up anger and a discussion about the validity of football as a sport. Dr. Omalu fought for the truth to be admitted by the NFL, then dropped the ball. Concussion only tells part of the story.”

    Between the serious nature of this film and Will Smith as its lead character, do you think Concussion is worth a trip to the movie theater?

    It definitely sounds like one all coaches and parents of kids who play sports–especially football or hockey–should plan to see.

  • Kathie Lee Gifford Donated Frank Gifford’s Brain to Science, Reveals He Suffered Trauma from Football Days

    Kathie Lee Gifford and her family announced this week that when Frank Gifford passed away of natural causes in August, they donated his brain to science.

    In a statement to the media, Kathie Lee Gifford said, “We as a family made the difficult decision to have [Gifford’s] brain studied in hopes of contributing to the advancement of medical research concerning the link between football and traumatic brain injury.”

    “Our suspicions that he was suffering from the debilitating effects of head trauma were confirmed when a team of pathologists recently diagnosed his condition as that of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)—a progressive degenerative brain disease,” it said.

    Frank Gifford spent his entire football career with the New York Giants. On Wednesday, the team issued a statement in regard to the statement Kathie Lee Gifford and her family shared.

    “We have great respect and sympathy for the Gifford family,” the statement reads. “We all miss Frank dearly. We support the family’s decision to contribute to the discussion and research of an issue we take very seriously.”

    The effects of head injuries sustained while playing football have been of great concert recently. The deaths of several famous former players, including Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, have been tied to CTE. In 2013, NFL legend Tony Dorsett said that he had several signs of CTE.

    “It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and friend, Frank Gifford,” Kathie Lee Gifford and her children said in a statement when Frank Gifford died in early August. “Frank died suddenly this beautiful Sunday morning of natural causes at his Connecticut home.”

    “We rejoice in the extraordinary life he was privileged to live, and we feel grateful and blessed to have been loved by such an amazing human being,” the statement read. “We ask that our privacy be respected at this difficult time and we thank you for your prayers.”

    Kathie Lee Gifford and children Cody and Cassidy Gifford will no doubt work hard to keep Frank’s memory alive, and have honored him by contributing to the medical research of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

  • CTE Brain Disease Postmortem Diagnosis (Ryan Freel)

    CTE Brain Disease Postmortem Diagnosis (Ryan Freel)

    Former MLB player Ryan Freel committed suicide on December 22, 2012, at the age of 36. It has now been reported that Freel suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a degenerative brain disease. A report compiled by the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and Sports Legacy Institute concluded that the athlete suffered from Stage II CTE. Freel was the first MLB player to have his brain researched by the Boston University Center. According to the study, Freel experienced “9 or 10” concussions during his 8-year career in the majors.

    Norma Vargas, Ryan Freel’s mother, said that the diagnosis will provide closure for the rest of the family, especially his three daughters. “Oh yes [it’s helpful], especially for the girls. We adults can understand a little better. It’s a closure for the girls who loved their dad so much and they knew how much their dad loved them. It could help them understand why he did what he did. Maybe not now, but one day they will,” Vargas said.

    Freel’s stepfather, Clark Vargas, discussed his discouragement that the diagnosis came after Ryan’s death. “It’s a release in that there was a physical reason for what he did. On the other side for me, Ryan fell through the cracks. He was seen by the heads of Duke, then a whole bunch of other people since he came back, Mayo. All those guys couldn’t put it together,” he said.

    There is a relationship between athletes involved in competitive sports and the CTE disease. According to Thomas McAllister, M.D., Vice Chair for Neuroscience Research at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, competitive football players may experience up to 8,000 strikes to the head during the span of a career.

    According to Chris Nowinski, who is the Co-Founder and Executive Director at Sports Legacy Institute, any type of trauma to the brain can potentially lead to a diagnosis of CTE. However, the diagnosis depends on multiple conditions such as severity of trauma, the amount of traumatic events, and other extraneous factors.

    “I think this will educate a new group of people who may never have heard of the football findings, the hockey findings. CTE can be caused by any brain trauma,” Nowinski said.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]