Researchers identify signs of brain damage in living NFL veterans

April 09, 2013

Researchers identify signs of brain damage in living NFL veterans

Article provided by The Law Offices of Michael Goldstein
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Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles made an important breakthrough recently when they identified signs of potentially crippling brain damage in five former professional football players.

The research involved performing brain scans on a group of former NFL players. In five of the players, scans revealed images of a telltale protein associated with a type of brain damage known to be caused by repeated head trauma. ESPN reported that this was the first time researchers have identified signs of the disease in living patients.

Previously, the disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, could be diagnosed only by examining the brain after death. The disease is brought on by repeated head trauma, which causes an abnormal protein called tau to build up and kill brain cells. In the brains of the five football players in question, researchers found tau buildup in areas of the brain associated with memory and emotions. This is consistent with the protein buildup patterns observed after death in the brains of people diagnosed with CTE.

Doctors hope the recent breakthrough will help them to identify and treat CTE in athletes and other at-risk individuals before symptoms develop. Symptoms of CTE may include dementia, depression and memory loss.

Brain injuries are not limited to pro athletes

While the recent NFL inquiries have drawn increased national attention to brain injuries and their long-term consequences, the issue affects people in all walks of life throughout California and the United States. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.7 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year.

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when a sudden impact causes the brain to collide with the inside of the skull and disrupts normal brain activity. While some TBIs are the result of sports-related impact, many others are caused by car accidents, work injuries and even assault. Symptoms of TBI vary from mild to severe, and may include dizziness, headache, disorientation or memory loss.

In the past, many experts believed that TBIs typically cleared up over time with little lasting effect. However, recent research on the long-term effects of head trauma among football players, military veterans and children has shown that the consequences of TBI may be far more serious and long-lasting than previously thought.

For instance, in a study of children who had suffered TBIs at a young age, researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne found that children who had suffered moderate to severe TBIs were more likely to show signs of intellectual, cognitive and behavioral setbacks even years after their injuries.

Legal help for California brain injuries

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in California and you believe that someone else's negligence or wrongdoing may have contributed to the injury, contact an attorney to discuss the possibility of seeking compensation for the medical bills, lost income and other expenses you have incurred as a result of the injury.