CTE in former college football players

[Michchamp]

Yikes. The Concussion Legacy Foundation, which studies CTE in former football players, just released a study in which a whopping 91% of former college players (138 of the 152 studied) had CTE. of that group, 2/3s also played professionally. It's clear though that the damage done in college could be sufficient on its own to cause CTE.

UM had 3 former players with CTE from the study; the only one publicly released was Rob Lytle. MSU had 7, most of any school in the study.

don't let your kids play football.

I wonder if football will even be around all that much longer.

 

[Michchamp]

Link to the Foundation's report.

 

[dubbsco]

I've been of the belief that football as we know it won't exist in 25 years or so. Unless you completely overhaul the rules, it just can't function as less and less youth play and more people retire early.

 

[TheVictors]

It's either going to go the way of Flag Football or the Gladiator battles of ancient Rome.

 

[rumseyhouse77]

I've heard that CTE has been found in some former high school football players. Any head trauma seems to have the potential of triggering CTE.

 

[byco42]

Pretty sure that I have CTE in some degree with the string of closed-head injuries I've had in my life.

 

[TheVictors]

Pretty sure that I have CTE in some degree with the string of closed-head injuries I've had in my life.

Same here. I know I have been concussed at least a half-dozen times including knocking myself out with my knee after launching off a cornice on a snowboard as well as a slamming into a tree and cracking a rib.

 

[Michchamp]

I don't know very much about it, but I thought one of the issues is the damage has to be repetitive; if you give the brain some time to heal, individual traumatic incidents aren't a problem. that's why the NFL requires guys sit.

although, I am hesitant to believe anything the NFL does is actually medically sound. their long time "concussion expert" was a doctor from a completely different area of medicine who spent his whole career claiming there was no long term harm in having 250-300 lb men slam into your head repeatedly...

 

[byco42]

Same here. I know I have been concussed at least a half-dozen times including knocking myself out with my knee after launching off a cornice on a snowboard as well as a slamming into a tree and cracking a rib.

I was dropped on my head at six weeks. All downhill from there.

 

[Michchamp]

the wikipedia article on CTE is illuminating.

Man, the NFL is sleazy... Junior Seau's son halted the autopsy of his father's brain after the NFL called him repeatedly and attacked the ethics and credibility of the doctor doing the autopsy (Bennet Omalu) who had uncovered CTE in a string of former players up to that point.

the article also says it's possible to get it from just a couple years of high school football. jeez.

 

[Michchamp]

apparently, other than matching symptoms, CTE can only be conclusively diagnosed after death. too bad we don't have any brain surgeons posting here who could provide some additional information. the wiki article ominously has nothing about "treatment" so it appears CTE is irreversible. I've read some former players are treating it; not sure how well it works, or if drugs only delay the onset of effects or slow mental deterioration, not stop it completely.

I have to admit, I've turned some NFL games off when I see someone take a bad hit to the head this season. It's just getting too gruesome in my mind to watch someone's health and well being get physically destroyed like that, just so a bunch of asshole billionaires can keep raking in the money and get even wealthier. I don't care how much these guys on the field get paid.

I haven't gotten as down on college football, yet, but it is in the back of my mind.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Knowing what we know now, I think there's a serious age of consent issue. The game will change and kids will only play flag football.

 

[tomdalton22]

apparently, other than matching symptoms, CTE can only be conclusively diagnosed after death. too bad we don't have any brain surgeons posting here who could provide some additional information. the wiki article ominously has nothing about "treatment" so it appears CTE is irreversible. I've read some former players are treating it; not sure how well it works, or if drugs only delay the onset of effects or slow mental deterioration, not stop it completely.

I have to admit, I've turned some NFL games off when I see someone take a bad hit to the head this season. It's just getting too gruesome in my mind to watch someone's health and well being get physically destroyed like that, just so a bunch of asshole billionaires can keep raking in the money and get even wealthier. I don't care how much these guys on the field get paid.

I haven't gotten as down on college football, yet, but it is in the back of my mind.

College football is no different.