Concussions and CTE

[Aaron]

Aaron Hernadez had CTE.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/21/health/aa ... index.html

And now it has been shown that Aaron Hernandez's CTE was one of the worst they have found.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_ ... ere_damage

[Zubeydah]

http://www.kabc.com/2017/11/16/ex-nfl-p ... g-patient/

By Nadia Kounang
CNN

Researchers published, what they say is the first case of a living person diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

While unnamed in the study, lead author Dr. Bennet Omalu confirmed to CNN that the subject of the case was former NFL player, Fred McNeill — who died in 2015.

Omalu is credited with first discovering CTE in professional football players. Until now, the only way to diagnose the disease is with a brain exam after death.

The diagnosis was first made in 2012 using an experimental brain scan that can trace a signature protein of CTE called tau. The case study was published in the journal Neurosurgery this week.

‘It looked like just depression’

Omalu first presented these findings exclusively to CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta in 2016. McNeill’s wife, Tia, and his two sons, Gavin and Fred Jr., told Gupta then, that they saw Fred transform from a fun loving family man at the center of their lives into a man who was dealing with symptoms of memory loss, anger and depression that tore their family apart.

“There are some times where the father is the stronghold in the family, or the anchor. If you lose that, everything kind of falls apart. That’s kind of what happened for us. It looked like financial issues at first; it looked like marital issues, and they separated; then it looked like just depression,” Gavin told Gupta.

CTE is known for plaguing people with Alzheimer’s like symptoms such as memory loss, rage, mood swings, and in some cases, suicidal ideation.
Severity of the disease is categorized into four stages, with stage 4 being the most severe. While researchers don’t know exactly why certain people develop the disease and others don’t, they believe that it results from repeated blows to the head that trigger a build up of tau proteins in the brain.
CTE has been called football’s “concussion crisis,” however experts point out that CTE can develop from any repeated head injury. According to the Boston University CTE Center, “this trauma includes both concussions that cause symptoms and subconcussive hits to the head that cause no symptoms.” These subconcussive hits can include the repeated trauma the brain experiences from constant plays, hitting the turf, and tackling. Wrestlers, boxers, and military troops have also been diagnosed with the disease.

Seeing CTE
While the experimental technology has been used on at least a dozen other former NFL players including Pro Football Hall of Famer, Dallas Cowboy Tony Dorsett, McNeill is the first case to have the test results confirmed with an autopsy.

Omalu helped develop and is invested in the diagnostic exam, which uses a radioactive “tracer” called FDDNP to bind to tau proteins in the brain. The tau proteins can then be seen on a PET scan of the brain.

Critics have said the protein also can highlight another protein called amyloid, which may be indicative of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. But Omalu noted that in CTE, tau makes distinctive patterns in the brain. It has a “specific topographic signature,” he said, and that pattern can be detected in imaging.

Omalu said he and his team are currently raising money to start a phase 3 clinical trial to further test the technology and replicate what they have seen in McNeill. He anticipates that once funds are raised, it will take another two to three years for the trial and then another year, at least, for approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. When asked, how soon a commercial test could be available, Omalu predicted it could be as soon as a few years. “We are looking at less than five years,” he said.

The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

[Thorsteinn Raudskeggr]

I would get scanned now if I could afford it and it was available.

[Diglach Mac Cein]

I would volunteer for this testing.

[Aaron]

Valid concerns with traumatic brain injury will unfortunately destroy heavy fighting in the SCA. The good news is we'll have fencing.

[Chadwick]

I would volunteer for this testing.

-Keith.

[Nissan Maxima]

I would volunteer for this testing.

-Keith.

I am probably not a great subject for this, but you gave me the only concussion I have ever received.

[Diglach Mac Cein]

Valid concerns with traumatic brain injury will unfortunately destroy heavy fighting in the SCA. The good news is we'll have fencing.

If we changed our rules for helmet padding (No blue foam or similar foam like yoga mat, etc.) nd mandated heavier guage helms (IMO 14g should be the minimum), it would be a start.

Calibration is going to be harder to change.

[Jasper]

Valid concerns with traumatic brain injury will unfortunately destroy heavy fighting in the SCA. The good news is we'll have fencing.

If we changed our rules for helmet padding (No blue foam or similar foam like yoga mat, etc.) nd mandated heavier guage helms (IMO 14g should be the minimum), it would be a start.

Calibration is going to be harder to change.

Repeated denting of 12 ga helms will be grounds for retraining and/or lost of fighting privileges.

[Chadwick]

If I was designing a CTE study, I would be interested in the following groups:
- football players,
- hockey players,
- boxers,
- long term SCA fighters.

Football and hockey to establish baselines;
Boxers and Long term SCA fightes as comparison to football and hockey.

If the weight of the head protection results in an effective lower incidence rate of CTE,
then I would expect that long term SCA fighters should demonstrate lower rates than Football/Hockey,
and Football/Hockey should demonstrate lower rates that Boxers.

If the weight of the head protection does not effectively mitigate the CTE incidence rate,
then I would expect that the rate should correspond to the rate of impacts and thus
Boxers/long term SCA fighters should demonstrate higher rates than Football/Hockey players.

-Keith.

[Thorsteinn Raudskeggr]

No MMA fighters?

[Chadwick]

I would classify MMA fighters as equivalent to boxers for the purposes of the study.

-Keith.

[Sir Varus]

Recent evidence is showing that soccer players are also highly subject to the effects of head trauma, and not just from banging heads with other players. Heading the ball repetitively, which is common in the professional game, has caused the death of at least one former player, and is starting to show effects on many more. Many former stars in England are in a position now of barely knowing anyone around them, or where they are. Newer ball technologies have helped, but the fact is, continuous blows to the head are cumulative and apparently, destructive. It does make me scared for my own waning years.

Varus - East

[raito]

If you've ever bounced a soccer ball off your head, you might think it's no big deal. But pro (and even higher non-pro) soccer players really make that ball move. 60-70 mph is not uncommon. There's video of Pat McAfee, a recently retired NFL punter and college soccer player getting 124 mph. And a video of a supposedly 131 mph penalty kick. Beats the heck out of a 105.1 mph baseball pitch. Soccer players don't fool around.

Now imagine deliberately putting your head in the way of one of those balls to redirect it.

I'm still trying to figure out if I'm just getting old, was hit in the head too much, or affected by raising children in my near-dotage that's causing problems. I still fear that they'll find swiss cheese in my head when I die. No evidence of dementia in any parent or grandparent.

[boris_]

Valid concerns with traumatic brain injury will unfortunately destroy heavy fighting in the SCA. The good news is we'll have fencing.

If we changed our rules for helmet padding (No blue foam or similar foam like yoga mat, etc.) nd mandated heavier guage helms (IMO 14g should be the minimum), it would be a start.

Calibration is going to be harder to change.

I would also want to see the minimum padding changed to 1"

[Aaron]

Hey Lloyd, how are you doing? I just want you to check in and confirm you are OK.

[Lloyd]

Hey Lloyd, how are you doing? I just want you to check in and confirm you are OK.

Doing okay, Aaron, thanks for checking. As I stated earlier, I have been diagnosed with repetitive concussion syndrome, which has led, directly, to me losing at least 4 career positions since 2005.
Not easy by any means, but I can't stress enough how important your family and a solid support structure around you is when you have these invisible injuries.

[leekellerking]

I have read that strong neck muscles have a protective effect against concussions. Ergo, a heavy helmet may have additional protective value, in addition to affecting the moment of inertia.

Perhaps a minimum weight standard for SCA helms?

Lee

If I was designing a CTE study, I would be interested in the following groups:
- football players,
- hockey players,
- boxers,
- long term SCA fighters.

Football and hockey to establish baselines;
Boxers and Long term SCA fightes as comparison to football and hockey.

If the weight of the head protection results in an effective lower incidence rate of CTE,
then I would expect that long term SCA fighters should demonstrate lower rates than Football/Hockey,
and Football/Hockey should demonstrate lower rates that Boxers.

If the weight of the head protection does not effectively mitigate the CTE incidence rate,
then I would expect that the rate should correspond to the rate of impacts and thus
Boxers/long term SCA fighters should demonstrate higher rates than Football/Hockey players.

-Keith.

[Aaron]

Hey Lloyd, how are you doing? I just want you to check in and confirm you are OK.

Doing okay, Aaron, thanks for checking. As I stated earlier, I have been diagnosed with repetitive concussion syndrome, which has led, directly, to me losing at least 4 career positions since 2005.
Not easy by any means, but I can't stress enough how important your family and a solid support structure around you is when you have these invisible injuries.

Good to hear that you are doing well!

[hrolf]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/opin ... amage.html

[Baron Eirik]

Saw this on the news last night, too.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencen ... story.html

"FDA approves first blood test that can help diagnose a concussion"

[Hrolfr]

Saw this on the news last night, too.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencen ... story.html

"FDA approves first blood test that can help diagnose a concussion"

I trust that as far as I can throw the Washington Monument.

[leekellerking]

On a related matter, I am about to re-pad my bascinet and my son wants to pad his great helm. We purchased 1/2 " padding from Master Eirik at Munitions Grade Arms (great and fast service, BTW), but I can't find the tutorial that I've see before where one creates a framework of padding that fits one's head, and then puts that in the helm.

Can anyone help a fellow out?

Thanks,

Lee

[Diglach Mac Cein]

Latest round of tests are in -

I've lost 15 - 20 percent of my executive brain function.

This affect my ability to manage / track time, pay attention, focus on details, memory, switch focus, memory, ability to multi-task, confusion, self edit commentary/speech/responses, etc.

I have a pronounced change in my personality, I get lost/disoriented, vertigo, anxiety attacks... and more.

I BEG you all - pad your helms with stuff DESIGNED to reduce concussions, check it often, change it out regularly.

Please.

Don't end up like I am.

[binarywraith]

Woof, that stinks Diglach. I'm sorry you're having to go through that.

Part of why I quit doing SCA heavy was a concussion back in the early 2000's, stepped into a 4' axe shot and got hafted sqare to the head. Rung me like a bell, I woke up on the floor, and have had minor hearing issues since.

[Diglach Mac Cein]

I haven't given up yet.

Going to another set of sport specialists.

[Diglach Mac Cein]

I haven't given up yet.

Going to another set of sport specialists.

[Diglach Mac Cein]

I haven't given up yet.

Going to another set of sport specialists.

[Lloyd]

Hey All,

Yep, I am still around and kicking. I don't joust or fight any longer, which is good because I have stability issues to go along with my memory issues. This has caused a few more concussions (think I am 18 or so) and a nasty case of aphasia (the inability to find a word when speaking or writing - I know that the word exists, I kinda know what it sounds like, but can't for the life of me bring it out - sometimes I have to simply describe what I am talking about).

If I had one piece of advice for ya'll it would be to utilize natural helm padding (linen and stuffing) rather than foam. I don't think that I would be nearly in the position I am now had I been using historically accurate padding throughout my career.

Be careful, have fun, enjoy our insane sports as safely as you can.

[raito]

In my last post in this thread, I outlined my worries for myself. At my last physical, they gave me a memory test. I got 19 of 20 only because it was presented as a story problem and I was waiting for math that never came. Doctors probably think I'm worrying for nothing. Still not as sharp as I'm used to being, though.