New research from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University has found that “87 of 91 deceased NFL players tested were found to have evidence of the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.” The study found that the prevalence of the disease is overwhelming; 96% of former players had evidence of CTE, and 79% of all players at all levels showed signs. And yes, that includes your high school age children.
All players AT ALL LEVELS show signs of CTE
One more time; all players, at all levels. PBS reports that “CTE [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][was found] in the brain tissue in 131 out of 165 individuals who, before their deaths, played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school” (emphasis ours). That does not mean that your child is merely at an increased risk of possibly developing the disease. It means that your child is virtually guaranteed to develop symptoms of CTE if he or she plays football.What is CTE?
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy was technically discovered in 2002, in the brain of a former football player named Mike Webster. Before that, it was called “punch drunk,” a term reserved almost exclusively for boxers. Thus, we always *knew* about CTE; we just did not have an official name for it. There are four stages to the disease:-
- Stage One. The protein tau builds up in unconnected parts of the brain, usually around the frontal lobe or the crown. Tau can lead to irreversible brain damage by “interrupting normal functioning and eventually killing nerve cells,” according to Frontline.
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- Stage Two. As the tau affects more brain cells, you can observe changes in behavior of the afflicted person. Depression, rage and poor impulse control are common.
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- Stage Three. The tau has expanded into the temporal lobe, and begins to affect the hippocampus and amygdala. Confusion is a common result; memory loss another.
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- Stage Four. Frontline puts it best: “The brain becomes deformed and brittle, and cognitive function is severely limited. By Stage 4 tau deposits have overwhelmed the brain, killing many nerve cells and shrinking it by roughly half its size.”
Playing with fire
If you still believe that your child will beat the odds, consider these numbers from the National Safety Council:-
- Chance of dying from heart disease, the Number 1 killer in America: 1 in 7
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- Chance of dying in a car crash: 1 in 112
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- Chance of dying from a fall: 1 in 144