A Bump on the Head Now Can Have Long-Term Effects
For years, the National Football League (NFL) denied that repeated concussions and head injuries sustained during brutal league play were connected to a disturbing number of dementia cases in retired players. Recently, however, new research may indicate that head trauma may be a cause of early death and disability in many professional athletes.
A study led by Dr. Ann McKee of Boston University School of Medicine announced that their findings were the first pathological evidence that repeated head trauma might be associated with the development of motor neuron disease. Researchers pointed to the autopsies of 11 professional athletes, all of whom had been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which led to dementia years after they had retired. The researchers found a protein called TDP-43 in the brains and spinal cords of the men, which they believe is a cause, along with damaged nerves, of ALS-type symptoms. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a debilitating motor neuron disease, which is incurable and results in progressive paralysis.
The Boston University study found that a disease can resemble ALS, but a careful study of the diseased tissue might reveal that it is not, leading to suspicions that Lou Gehrig may not even had ALS. ALS is a very rare disease, and it was unusual to find it in three of the autopsied athletes who had been diagnosed with it. Researchers felt that there may be more than one type of ALS and that one damaged nerve can lead to a succession of other dying nerves leading to a motor neuron disease.
The findings also warned about head trauma sustained by combat veterans, many of whom have suffered debilitating brain injuries from explosions and other blows to the head. This may explain why so many Iraq War veterans are showing such a high rate of ALS.
Besides high-impact sports or combat, motor vehicle accidents and slip-and-fall incidents are also a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. The study suggests that anyone sustaining a head injury in an accident should be treated immediately and watched for early signs of dementia or motor disability.
Thanks to the studies, specific drugs may be developed to stop the process of nerve damage that can lead to ALS-type disabilities. Whether it will lead to increased protection for NFL players and combat soldiers or used to treat car accident victims remains to be seen.
