Resource Contact Sports: Concussion & CTE

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Interesting read. I guess the conclusion that you would draw is that footy should be a relatively safe space for CTE. Sure people get concussed, but there isn't that regular low-level stuff that you get with American Football or soccer. I've been involved with junior footy for a while, and whilst their is the odd concussion, hits to the head are actually quite rare.

Not aware of this actually being an issue in soccer. And I've yet to see evidence of endemic issues in footy. Cases like Greg Williams may be coincidental rather than causative.
 
jim boy said:
Interesting read. I guess the conclusion that you would draw is that footy should be a relatively safe space for CTE. Sure people get concussed, but there isn't that regular low-level stuff that you get with American Football or soccer. I've been involved with junior footy for a while, and whilst their is the odd concussion, hits to the head are actually quite rare.

Not aware of this actually being an issue in soccer. And I've yet to see evidence of endemic issues in footy. Cases like Greg Williams may be coincidental rather than causative.
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There appears to be an increasing number of small-scale studies linking soccer and CTE; but they suggest the issue is not the relatively rare concussions, but rather the frequent and regular hits when players head the ball (10-30 times a game, and 30+ times in quick succession at training) or clash heads when competing in the air.
We probably won't know the extent of CTE (as distinct from dementia, which is not the same thing) in footy until they start building a database of autopsies; or until they establish a causal link (if there is one) between alzheimers/dementia and CTE.
 
jim boy said:
Interesting read. I guess the conclusion that you would draw is that footy should be a relatively safe space for CTE. Sure people get concussed, but there isn't that regular low-level stuff that you get with American Football or soccer. I've been involved with junior footy for a while, and whilst their is the odd concussion, hits to the head are actually quite rare.

Not aware of this actually being an issue in soccer. And I've yet to see evidence of endemic issues in footy. Cases like Greg Williams may be coincidental rather than causative.
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The NFL has gone along way to protect the head and whilst it still happens, the collision nature of that sport predicates the head injury issue.
AFL whilst still having the potential for it, IMO has greatly reduced likelihood and threat thereof.

Im not suggesting the current and future cases are baseless - but the frequency and intensity would be less than the NFL.

GO Catters
 
you pick one said:
I think I got that at St Pats from the Nuns.
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Irish Nuns?

Marist Brothers + Christian Brothers were infamous for their belts to the head - so possible CTE + also from their footy teams, AFL, Rugby + League.
 
Vdubs said:
Hope Hugh Wirth doesn't read this article.
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Didn't he die recently? The advocate for humane treatment of animals? Are you implying that his Parkinson's was related to CTE? ???

I'm a bit lost.
 
"Researchers believe CTE is related to the buildup of an abnormal form of a protein called 'tau' in the brain. This buildup, which is also an Alzheimer’s hallmark, leads to brain cell death. Deposits of a protein called beta-amyloid that are another Alzheimer’s hallmark are found in some individuals with CTE, but are not common."
https://www.alz.org/dementia/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-cte-symptoms.asp

The post mortem that revealed CTE, on Mike Webster, was only in 2002. As others have said there is still little empirical evidence + there is a need to begin to record statistics of CTE deaths. The problem is that at this stage, CTE can only be diagnosed during a post mortem.

Regarding AFL caused CTE, I wonder how many players have suffered CTE? Also, players who had Alzheimer's - was it caused by CTE? Or was their Alzheimer's caused by the usual factors, a combination of genetic, lifestyle + environmental factors that affect the brain over time?

For instance, was Polly Farmer's dementia a result of CTE?
 

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Research has revealed that CTE is linked to Parkinson's Disease - which contributed to the death of Muhammad Ali.

University of Washington studies have stated that "even a single head injury with loss of consciousness puts people at pretty remarkably increased risk of Parkinson’s disease."

Dr Paul Crane to led the team at UW "points out that the head injuries in this study are slightly different from the mild, repetitive brain injuries that have been getting so much attention among football players. Those repeated blows can lead to the condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), but Crane says there may also be connections between injuries that result in loss of consciousness and CTE as well. Trauma that results in loss of consciousness, but don’t cause the person to really suffer any obvious adverse effects, are much more common than the repetitive trauma seen in sports like football. And as with CTE, the current study shows that there may be long term effects, years after the incident, of even a single head injury that results in loss of consciousness."
http://time.com/4399300/parkinsons-muhammad-ali-head-trauma/
 
Hello Kitty said:
Didn't he die recently? The advocate for humane treatment of animals? Are you implying that his Parkinson's was related to CTE? ???

I'm a bit lost.
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Sadly died 6 days ago, after that post.
Not sure if he was ill. Did not even know he had Parkinsons
Was just referring , a little glibly maybe, to the nature of the trials they used on the animals' brains.
He would not have approved.
 
Vdubs said:
Sadly died 6 days ago, after that post.
Not sure if he was ill. Did not even know he had Parkinsons
Was just referring , a little glibly maybe, to the nature of the trials they used on the animals' brains.
He would not have approved.
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Thanks for explaining, vivisection appalls me! Yet sadly, I still am a taker of drugs + benefit from medical advances.

Worse matchmaking ever - my mother introducing me to a scientist, who tested on animals! I was so horrified I ran from the restaurant!

Must admit that I thought you might be referring to Wirth's days at Xavier College + his early footy days.
 
https://newatlas.com/blood-test-concussion-brain-injury-fda-approval/53422/
The first diagnostic blood test to evaluate the severity of a concussion has been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The blood test can accurately and quickly identify patients with brain tissue damage, or intracranial lesions, following a head injury without the need for an expensive and time-consuming CT scan.
https://newatlas.com/blood-test-concussion-brain-injury-fda-approval/53422/
 
Hot Tin Roof said:
https://newatlas.com/blood-test-concussion-brain-injury-fda-approval/53422/
The first diagnostic blood test to evaluate the severity of a concussion has been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The blood test can accurately and quickly identify patients with brain tissue damage, or intracranial lesions, following a head injury without the need for an expensive and time-consuming CT scan.
https://newatlas.com/blood-test-concussion-brain-injury-fda-approval/53422/
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Wonder how soon we can use these here and co$t$. Watch this space.
 
Should it not be possible to determine CTE prevalence by comparing brains of players of a code like NFL where the demands of each position are quite different.

I am not a keen follower of NFL but I can see that some positions require / risk repeated head knocks of the medium impact type and others much less so.

Eg the linemen and tackle types(?) - in the superbowl seemed to hit helmets often. Even sometimes deliberately if a defensive line player. They must suffer these clashes 10 or 20 or more times per game and heaps more in practice. The receivers and cornerbacks etc seem to get hit harder (more speed ) but other than the top couple just 3 or 4 times in the game (more body shots).

Without wanting to sound flippant, finding enough dead ex players to complete the study might pose a problem but they could be drawn from High school / Uni / NFL/ any other? comps across the country and past data should be on record.

We do need to know what the cause of this CTE is (and the pathway to Parkinsons disease) .

And yes, using mice or any animal for this study is awful.
 
catswhiskers said:
Should it not be possible to determine CTE prevalence by comparing brains of players of a code like NFL where the demands of each position are quite different.

I am not a keen follower of NFL but I can see that some positions require / risk repeated head knocks of the medium impact type and others much less so.

Eg the linemen and tackle types(?) - in the superbowl seemed to hit helmets often. Even sometimes deliberately if a defensive line player. They must suffer these clashes 10 or 20 or more times per game and heaps more in practice. The receivers and cornerbacks etc seem to get hit harder (more speed ) but other than the top couple just 3 or 4 times in the game (more body shots).

Without wanting to sound flippant, finding enough dead ex players to complete the study might pose a problem but they could be drawn from High school / Uni / NFL/ any other? comps across the country and past data should be on record.

We do need to know what the cause of this CTE is (and the pathway to Parkinsons disease) .

And yes, using mice or any animal for this study is awful.
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In my 30 odd years of watching the NFL - and that does not make an expert by any means - the majority of contact head injuries and concussions ive seen have been WR, RB on offense and DB, Safety and linebackers on defense.

The lineman on both sides tend to engage at the LOS and as such dont collide with as much force into each other as the positions Ive referred to earlier.
They are exceptions to every rule of course but it just what ive observed. And it seems to be the collision injuries and accumulation of that are causing the issues.

GO Catters
 
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/rowena-barnes-reveals-nightmare-life-with-former-afl-star-john-barnes-because-of-concussion/news-story/354ca350f4a9450196c852f7931414d3

The wife of AFL legend John Barnes has told of the “nightmare” her family is living, as it battles with the former ruckman’s deteriorating mental and physical health, believed to be caused by on-field concussions in his playing days.

cb95c6c0bfae8fcd47384cfdbf0f352b.jpg ​

Rowena Barnes said her once mild-mannered and gregarious husband was now prone to terrifying outbursts and rages which had seen her family at times fear for their lives.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...n/news-story/354ca350f4a9450196c852f7931414d3
 
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