Led by Yorghos Tripodis, the investigation analyzed 396 donated brains alongside death records for 1,966 other former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023. Researchers utilized statistical modeling to adjust for selection bias after calculating that families of players with cognitive decline were five times more likely to donate brains. The condition is triggered by repetitive head impacts that cause a buildup of tau proteins, which can lead to mood changes, memory loss, and depression. In response, an NFL spokesperson stated that the league continually pursues strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts to make the sport safer.
Key points
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy can currently only be formally diagnosed through a posth…: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy can currently only be formally diagnosed through a posthumous autopsy of brain tissue.
The presence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy signs does not always result in clinical…: The presence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy signs does not always result in clinical symptoms or cognitive decline for former players.
Repetitive impacts cause the brain to strike the skull, triggering a buildup of tau prote…: Repetitive impacts cause the brain to strike the skull, triggering a buildup of tau proteins associated with memory loss and depression.
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An estimated 75% of professional football players who died over a 15-year span had signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a study published Wednesday found.
It’s the highest estimate to date. Most recently, a study published in August by the same group estimated that one-quarter of NFL players who died in a five-year span had CTE. The new study, published in JAMA Network Open, put the figure at three times higher.
Not all people with signs of CTE in the brain go on to experience cognitive decline or dementia, and some people may never experience symptoms at all. A smaller proportion of the former players in the analysis were estimated to have dementia, about 27%, the study found.
The results were surprising, said study leader Yorghos Tripodis, the director of statistics and data management at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center. Boston University houses the UNITE Brain Bank, which studies the effects of repetitive head trauma in donated brains, including the brains of athletes, military personnel and others.
“I had to double-check the numbers,” Tripodis said. Still,…
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