Last Word on Sports recently discussed head injuries in the NFL. Since then, another, bigger study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The results of this latest study, which must be considered large scale, are outright alarming. The study team had studied 202 now deceased football players. 177 donated brains were examined in order to determine the neuropathological and clinical features of former football players. Perhaps it’s more correct to say that they tested brains from “people who had played football at all levels.” The samples came from high school players, semiprofessionals, CFL and NFL players and college players. Almost 88% of the 177 brains were found to show evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE was, however, not found in the brains of two players who had played football before high school. Just two. Think about that for a second.
New Study: Bank on CTE
For something to be statistically significant, researchers have to study a certain number of subjects. In this case, it was 202 samples. That sample size is not only considered statistically significant, but constitutes a “robust sample.” This study shows damage to 110 of 111 former National Football League players. That’s 99%, folks. Let’s unpack that number using an analogy an awful lot of people are familiar with: If used correctly, birth control pills are effective 99.9% of the time, condoms 98% of the time. Statistically, that’s considered “very effective.” So if you use that type of birth control, you can bank on no unwanted pregnancies. According to these football stats, 99% of former NFL players surveyed suffer from CTE. That means you can bank on having a brain injury if you play football to the same degree that you can bank on your choice of birth control preventing pregnancy.
Statistically Significant Evidence
Evidence of CTE was found in 91% of brains donated by college football players, 88% of CFL players. 21% of the relatively smaller sample group of high school players also showed signs of CTE. That’s still relatively high, but not as bad as the stats from advanced players. Moreover, while the majority of the brains from players who had played at advanced levels showed “severe” signs of CTE, high school players diagnosed with CTE only showed “mild” signs. The study, which examined brains from all player positions, included 44 linemen, 10 linebackers, 17 defensive backs and seven quarterbacks. The researchers found no correlation between any specific field position and an increased or lowered risk of CTE. That is, all the players on the field are at equal risk, with no position safer than the other. Statistically, the correlation seems to be between exposure to repetitive hits to the head and CTE.
Study Goes Deep and Wide
So, apparently the occurrence and severity of CTE depends on how long you play for, and at what level. That still doesn’t give us all the answers to all the questions, but it’s a significant start. However, the reader has to take into account that the samples are skewed. The brains were specifically donated to be examined for CTE. That means we still don’t know how common CTE is in the NFL, let alone in the general population. Researchers also don’t know the stats for other contact sports. What the study shows, though, is that there is a risk to playing football. While other research already showed that, this study is much more comprehensive than previous studies. It studied the donated brains from players between 23 years of age and 89 years of age. As mentioned, it studied players from many field positions and multiple levels of play.
Creating New Armour
Currently, new methods for diagnosing CTE are being developed. At this point, though, CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem, which is why researchers have to study the donated brains of deceased players. This is the largest such study to date, and by a long shot at that. This study is also the first to examine players beyond those who previously played in the NFL. It does not show genetic factors, the exact risk, how many concussions is too many for whom, etc. It also doesn’t teach us anything new about the disease itself. With this study in hand, however, researchers have realized that CTE is much more common than previously thought. Among other things, CTE causes progressive dementia, memory loss, depression, and impaired judgement. It’s a chronic illness that should be taken seriously and not one that’s easy to live with, or easily treated. This study helps us begin to build armor against it.
