CTE study finds 70pc of head impacts happening in sports practice

A recent study on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in NFL players has revealed that at least one in four deceased players had the degenerative disease. Out of 878 players who died between 2016 and 2021, 235 donated their brains, with 215 of those brains testing positive for CTE. Lead author Daniel Daneshvar, from Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School, emphasized that diagnosing CTE is only possible after death and cautioned against drawing conclusions based on the donation rate.

The research highlights that the majority of head impacts, responsible for CTE, did not occur at the NFL level but in lower levels, including youth sports. Dr. Daneshvar stressed that the disease's prevalence among former NFL players is concerning, especially when compared to the general population, where fewer than 1% have this brain pathology. He called for preventive measures to reduce repetitive head impacts across all levels of the sport.

The study also revealed a high prevalence of dementia among brain donors, prompting calls for prevention strategies targeting repetitive head impacts across all levels of football. The NFL's 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement limited contact practices during the season, and the Ivy League banned full-contact tackling in practices five years later.

Despite these measures, the study suggests that implementing similar restrictions at the collegiate, high school, and youth levels could significantly reduce athletes' cumulative head impact burden.