New study raises concerns about prevalence of CTE among NFL players
A new study is sounding the alarm about the prevalence of CTE in NFL players. According to the British Medical Journal, 1 in 4 players who died between 2016 and 2021 had the degenerative brain disease. Concussion & CTE Foundation CEO Chris Nowinski, whose organization helped conduct the study, joins to unpack the findings.
A recent study reveals that at least one in four former NFL players exhibit signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) upon death. CTE is a degenerative brain condition believed to stem from repeated head trauma. Researchers from the Concussion and CTE Foundation examined the brains of 235 former NFL players who passed away between 2016 and 2021. While earlier studies suggested a lower rate of CTE in former players, this latest research indicates a significantly higher prevalence.
Amna Nawaz spoke with Dr. Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion and CTE Foundation, and co-author of the study. Dr. Nowinski explained that the study focused on donated brains from retired players, and the actual number of NFL players suffering from CTE may be even higher due to the limitations of using only autopsy-donated brains. The study found that nearly two-thirds of the affected players exhibited dementia during their lifetime.
Nowinski emphasized the need for further research on the impacts of repeated head trauma on younger players, including high school and college athletes. He highlighted that over 90% of studied college players and more than a third of high school players had evidence of CTE. The study's findings suggest that the current NFL game may pose greater risks due to players' increased size, strength, and longer seasons compared to the past.
Written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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