Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the National Football League Katie Transue

Introduction What is CTE? CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head (Boston University) Repetitive brain trauma triggers the brain tissue to fall apart and cause the build-up of an abnormal protein called tau Tau begins to form around the brain’s blood vessels, interrupting normal functioning and eventually killing nerve cells (Boston University) CTE is associated with memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia

Introduction Professional football players receive as many as 1,500 hits to the head in a single season Researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have identified CTE in 96% of NFL players and in 79% of all football players. 2015: 199 concussions were diagnosed in the NFL (Frontline)

Stages of CTE Stage 1: No Symptoms Isolated spots of tau build up mostly around the frontal lobe, or the crown of the head Stage 2: Rage, Impulsivity, Depression Symptoms begin to appear as defective tau protein affects more nerve cells in the brain’s frontal (top) lobes Stage 3: Confusion, Memory Loss Tau deposits expand from the frontal section to the temporal (side) section of the brain Condition begins to affect the amygdala and the hippocampus, which impairs emotion and memory Stage 4: Advanced Dementia By stage 4, the tau deposits have overwhelmed the brain, killing many nerve cells and shrinking it by roughly half its original size The brain become deformed and brittle, and cognitive function is severely limited

Normal Brain vs. Brain with CTE

Major Research Findings League of Denial (2013): 2002: Dr. Bennet Omalu conducted an autopsy of a retired professional football player, Mike Webster. Not a single paper had been published that described what was going on inside Mike Webster’s brain Omalu had discovered a new disease that he would later name CTE

Major Research Findings After publishing his findings, the NFL began to discredit Omalu’s research and claimed there was no connection between playing football and long-term brain damage The NFL refused to listen to people who did not share their opinions about concussion research “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you” –Dr. Bennet Omalu

End Product The NFL has a duty to fully inform its employees (the players) about the long-term risks associated with a football career The end product will be informational posters and brochures The posters and brochures will be distributed to players at the beginning of each season and put up in locker rooms

Expertise Needed My Expertise Team Expertise Knowledge about new helmet technology An understanding of NFL player safety rules and regulations Time management Photoshop and graphic design skills Creativity An understanding of NFL player safety rules and regulations

Benefits of this Project Future, past, and present NFL players and their families will greatly benefit from this project In a sense, this project could save lives

References Boston University CTE Research Center http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/art/progs/concussions-cte/h.png Breslow, J. (2015, September 18). New: 87 Deceased NFL Players Test Positive for Brain Disease. Retrieved February 9, 2016, from Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/new-87-deceased-nfl-players-test-positive-for-brain-disease/ https://jeffreysterlingmd.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/chris-borman.jpg http://apps.frontline.org/concussion-watch/#positions_2015 Michael Kirk, M. W.-W. (Writer), & Kirk, M. (Director). (2013). League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis. [Motion Picture]. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/llUtLaklAR4/maxresdefault.jpg http://www.thedailycall.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Scan-123.jpg http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-four-stages-of-cte/ https://impactclubmwu.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/fig1a-h.jpg