During the past few years, brain injuries and the effects felt by National Football League (NFL) players have come into increased focus. As reported by CBS News, a new study from Scientific Reports has provided further evidence that the repeated head injuries suffered by football players frequently leads to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
During the study, 13 retired football players suffering from neurological problems underwent brain imaging scans. Results showed unusual activity linked to the amount of times they suffered a head injury during their sport. According to the lead author of the study, there is a strong link between levels of brain abnormality and head impacts that are bad enough to take a player out of a game.
Tests that included rearranging colored balls in as few moves as possible while undergoing brain scans compared the retired players to 60 healthy volunteers. Conclusions showed that NFL players performed worse than the volunteers and had unusual brain activity patterns in the frontal lobe. These abnormalities can have a pronounced effect on a person’s ability to organize and plan.
Recent years of research have shown that ex-NFL players are more likely to die from degenerative brain diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Additionally, the progressive degenerative brain disease of CTE has a higher likelihood of occurring in players, which leads to mood, cognition, behavior, and motor ability problems.
While a recent lawsuit settlement led to $765 million paid to more than 4,000 former NFL players, brain trauma is still an ongoing problem affecting professional, amateur, and student athletes today.
If you have suffered a serious sports-related brain injury in New York due to another person’s reckless actions or negligence, call the law team at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP. A free consultation is available by dialing (212) 986-7353 and the insight you receive will help you protect your rights and future wellbeing throughout your recovery.