Research Suggests Football Players At Risk For Permanent Brain Injuries

The Super Bowl in 2012 saw the appearance of NFL veteran

, Steve Gleason. At the age of 34, Gleason is suffering from smyotophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He's not alone, a recent Scientific American story, profiles other NFL veterans like Kevin Turner who have ALS. The story asked the question: Can repeated blows to the head cause Lou Gehrig's disease?

But, new controversial research from Boston University suggests that these veteran NFL players don't have ALS at all but another neurological condition with similar symptoms and a similarly bleak prognosis. This one, however, has a clear connection to repeated blows to the head.

Many researchers agree that the type of injuries that are sustained in high contact sports like football cause depression, changes in mood and behavior, memory loss, and early dementia. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is what scientists call this syndrome.. It is usually found at autopsy and is characterized by the buildup of two proteins- tau and TDP-43 which can leak out when brain cells are injured and can buildup in places where they do not belong.

Usually, repeated blows to the head take the form of concussions, which is one type of traumatic brain injury.. It causes transient alterations in how the brain functions and in more severe cases; it can result in bleeding or swelling. Players who return to the field after sustaining a concussion are at risk for second-impact syndrome which can result in lasting brain damage or even death, but symptoms usually go away within a week if properly treated..

The real issue is when individual brain cells, called neurons, become damaged. When a neuron is damaged, the membrane surrounding the cell can be breached, causing complications. Additionally, these head-in-motion injuries can cause a phenomenon called diffuse axonal injury, or axon shearing. Somas, or brain cells, are connected to a long fibrous tissue, called the axon.. The axon acts like a wire, transmitting neurological information from one part of the brain to another. When the head is moving, especially at an angle, these axons can become stretched and break, causing diffuse injury to the very areas of the brain that are essential for communicating information to different parts of the brain. Even if the injury doesn't stretch or break axons, the brain can still deem the injury too bad to repair, so apoptosin (so-called cell suicide) can occur.

Additional studies will examine the link between athletes and CTE, however it is important for athletes of all ages to seek proper treatment after a concussion.

by: Katie Kelley

POST COMMENT

Things To Be Considered While Searching A Student Accommodation In Edinburgh Fresher Jobs Are On The Rise. Thanks To The Reviving Economy Retain Clients Through Customer Research Programs Clinical Research - The Unconventional Branch Of Medicine Searching For Junkmail Cape Town Cars? - Use Pickacar.co.za! How To Search For A Freelance Job How To Write A Professional Dissertation Research Method Ways To Search Reasonable Girl Cooking Schools Detailed Information On Optician Jobs In Alaska What Is Local Search Everything You Wanted To Discover About Research Chemical Like Ethylphenidate The Importance Of Anchor Tag On Search Engine Optimization The Importance Of Market Research