Boston researchers reported Wednesday that there are marked similarities between
brain injuries suffered by some football players and brain injuries suffered by war veterans.
Both groups showed some of the earliest signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain illness associated with a number of concussions.
The disease has been in the news lately because of recent deaths of former football players. The news also has covered recent lawsuits against the National Football League by people who are concerned with as yet unclear problems of sports that result in multiple head injuries.
The Boston researchers who autopsied the brains of four young war veterans found some of the first signs of CTE in their brain tissue.
The signs are “very distinctive,” according to Dr. Lee Goldstein of Boston University who, along with Dr. Ann McKee of the VA New England Healthcare System, headed up the study. They reported their research in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The brain tissue of the veterans and the brain tissue from athletes in their teens and twenties showed nearly identical types of damage. Both showed early signs of CTE. Of the four veterans, three had been exposed to blasts from explosives and the fourth had a concussion from a different cause. That kind of damage is not seen in normal persons, Dr. Goldstein said.
The brains of the four young veterans, from 22 to 45 years old, showed on autopsy that the organs contained broken axons. These are slender fibers of nerve tissue that carry messages much like a fiberoptic cable, from one brain cell to the next. Also, the researchers were surprised to find that abnormal tangles of a brain protein called tau, which are a hallmark of CTE, had accumulated in both the athletes and the veterans.
The studies imply that a similar process is at work in the injuries of the two different groups. Whether the injuries are caused by a blast from an explosive or a blow to the head during a football game, the resulting CTE is the same. In both cases, the brain is severely rattled around inside the skull.
The researchers conducted a mouse study in which the animals were subjected to a simulated blast that violently shook their heads. The mice suffered broken axons and blood vessels, inflammation, and problems with learning and memory. Two weeks after the blast exposure, the mice’s brains were forming tau.
Symptoms of CTE, which progressively worsens, have been linked to having had many concussions. These symptoms include memory problems, changes in behavior
including aggression, and at some point dementia.
A traumatic brain injury can change a person’s life forever. It is one of the most devastating types of personal injuries, because it can change a person’s personality and affect every aspect of his or her life, including relationships.
If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, the personal injury attorneys at Flood Law Group may be able to help you recover compensation for your injuries and suffering. To learn more, please contact our law firm today.
