Study reveals high rates of CTE among former NFL players
At least one in four former National Football League players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a study released on Tuesday in the journal BMJ, reports BritPanorama.
The findings suggest a significant burden of CTE among this population, with the study being described as “one of the most informative estimates to date” regarding the condition’s prevalence among former players. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma, characterized by symptoms such as memory loss, impulse control problems, anxiety, depression, and aggression. The disease can only be diagnosed post-mortem, and its presence is marked by an abnormal buildup of tau protein in the brain.
A related analysis previously detected CTE in 99% of former NFL players who had donated their brains for research. However, that study had limitations due to possible biases, as the brains were donated by families who had noticed symptoms during the individuals’ lifetimes. The current study, conducted by researchers from Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, aimed to address these issues by analyzing the total number of NFL deaths from 2008 to 2021 alongside brain donation data.
Out of 878 former players who died during this timeframe, 235 had donated their brains for research, and 215 of them were diagnosed with CTE. Many of these donations were made through brain banks at Boston University and the University of California, San Francisco. An NFL spokesperson stated that the league “continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts.”
The spokesperson noted the NFL’s commitment to ensuring players have access to resources that enhance their physical and mental well-being, emphasizing the importance of seeking treatment for health concerns.
Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, the lead author of the study and chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham, highlighted the known connection between repeated traumatic brain injuries and elevated rates of neurodegenerative diseases. He added that NFL players exhibit a mortality rate from neurodegenerative diseases approximately four times higher than the general population. The study also found high incidences of dementia among brain donors, stressing the need for preventive measures to reduce repetitive head impacts at all levels of sport.
Daneshvar pointed out that many head impacts experienced by former NFL players occurred during their collegiate and high school years rather than in the professional league, contributing to the heightened risk. The NFL’s 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement has since restricted the number of contact practices during the season, while the current agreement, ratified in 2020, is set to continue through March 2031. The Ivy League has also banned full-contact tackling in practices.
In 2016, the Supreme Court allowed the NFL to settle concussion-related lawsuits with thousands of retired players. Daneshvar advocated for the adoption of the NFL’s changes at all competitive levels, arguing that reducing contact during practices could significantly decrease cumulative head impacts.
“We know that nearly 70% of head impacts are occurring in practice,” he said, suggesting that current and former athletes experiencing cognitive symptoms seek evaluation from experts in neurodegenerative diseases.
As concerns about player safety and health persist, the implications of these findings could lead to further scrutiny of practices at all levels of the sport.
