Congress Reviews NFL Head Injuries
House Judiciary Committee Heard Testimony from Retired NFL Players
Nov 13, 2009
Several medical researchers from the Boston University’s School of Medicine center currently studying chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of deceased former NFL players testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee in October regarding the physiological evidence collected so far.
Growing Evidence Linking Multiple Concussions with Permanent Brain Damage
According to Chris Nowinski (co-director of the Boston School of Medicine center), “hitting your head thousands of times appears to create a disease that slowly and quietly causes your brain cells to die” (Hart, A., Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009).
Dr. Ann McKee, neuropathologist working with Nowinski, all eleven brains in the study “showed severe signs of degradation” with many players suffering from memory loss and emotional disturbances prior to their death (Hart, A., Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009).
Compounding the evidence is a study commissioned by the NFL studying the quality-of-life of retired NFL players. The study found that former players between the ages of 30 and 49 experienced “memory-related diseases at a rate 19 times higher than men who did not play” (Hart, A., Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009).
It is also interesting to note that the NFL has its own financial plan to assist families of retired NFL players who need nursing-home care due to brain injuries. The plan is named after retired NFL player John Mackey (who wore number 88). Mackey currently suffers from severe dementia. The NFL sponsored plan provides families with $88,000 per year to assist with the costs of nursing home care and is called the “88 Plan.”
According to the Los Angeles Times’ Article (Hart, A., October 29, 2009), the current NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, refused to acknowledge a direct link between playing football and brain disorders during the committee hearings.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
Although chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been widely seen and acknowledged in the sport of boxing, the Boston University medical center research is the first of its kind to link permanent brain deterioration to multiple concussions in the sport of football. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive condition in the brain that “results from repetitive head trauma and can bring on dementia in people in their 40s and 50s” (Schwarz, A., New York Times, January 27, 2009).
As current and retired NFL players begin to become aware of the effects of multiple concussions on the brain, retired and current players are signing up to donate their brains to the research at the CTE center at Boston University (Los Angeles Times, September 15, 2009).
Protecting Athletes with Concussion
As physiological evidence continues to accumulate linking repeated concussions in the sport of football with permanent physiological changes in the brain, the participants in the sport of football need to begin to take notice and pay close attention to the signs and symptoms of concussion along with the appropriate management guidelines for concussion.
Parents of youth football players also need to pay attention and watch their children closely for any signs of concussion ensuring that their children are treated and managed carefully and conservatively. The youngest subject in the Boston study was an 18 year old whose brain already showed evidence of CTE. The young man had a history of concussions from playing football.
Playing with even a mild concussion places the athlete at a significant risk for second impact syndrome (fatal head injury) and for prolonged systematic effects from concussion (confusion, disorientation, inability to focus, inability to maintain balance).
This congressional hearing is a wake up call for athletes in all sports to pay close attention to short term and long term effects of concussion, and to become educated as to their signs and symptoms, management, and current return to sport guidelines.
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