Researched Position Paper

Tawanda Chappell

Pamela Rollins

Eng 1302

28 November 2018

Head Injuries in NFL

Football is known as a physically rough game. However, it brings people of all races together as they celebrate their favorite teams. Though they are always protected with a helmet on their head, shoulders paddings, and other safety gears, football players often get head injuries from the hard collisions (Carroll 197). Head injuries suffered by players, especially in the National Football League (NFL) are the primary course of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and depression disorder among the retired NFL players. From the studies that have been conducted on the issue, it has been established that more than 90% of the brains donated for research and belonging to the deceased players are infected with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) (Ahmad 52). The worse thing about the condition is that it can only be determined after death thus making it difficult to establish people that suffer from the disease while they are still alive and provide a preventive as well as curative measure. The paper focusses on discussing and giving evidence on the opinion that the increased cases of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and depression among the retired NFL players is as a result of the frequent head injuries they suffer during their frequent head collisions during the game (Carroll 196). Again, it gives directions on how NFL can minimize the cases of CTE and depression thus reducing the death of the retired players from the adverse effects of the two disorders.

CTE and Head Injuries

The National Research Council and Committee reached a conclusion that chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease that causes the brain to be dysfunctional and occurs as a result of repeated head blows. According to the committee not all blows are known to produce over time of increased exposure of the head blows that might lead to injuries both on the inside and outside. Repetitive head trauma experienced by footballers can cause a brain to suffer acceleration and deceleration forces that lead to coup and countercoup injuries which are manifested in the form of concussions of different magnitudes and even loss of consciousness (Carroll 264). CTE develops after a long period of improperly managed brain trauma and incomplete recovery. Carroll (197) believes that chronic brain trauma leads to CTE through Tao oligomerization following axonal deformation and microtubular destabilization. Tau oligomers are said to grow into paired helical and straight filamentous neurofibrillary tangles that interfere with the white matter tracks of the brain thus resulting in communication and signaling abnormalities. The activation of the cytokine and chemokine leads to inflammation that can cause increased blood-brain barrier permeability.

Three types of head injuries tend to lead to the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). These are the head injuries that all football players are exposed to while playing in the field and every blow they receive increases the chances of developing either of them. Concussions and the traumatic brain injury are the first causes according to Dambinova (30). Dambinova (30) argues that depending on the length of time an individual was unconscious, as well as had lost the memory, a doctor is often able to determine the severity of the brain injuries. Concussions are considered a mild version of the traumatic brain injuries which often becomes Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) with time (National Research Council). Among the issues associated include chronic pain, difficulties to communicate, fatigue, problems to concentrate, as well as severe mental impairment. Traumatic brain injury is always the primary cause of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The council notes that Intracranial Hematomas happens when there is an abnormal blood accumulation between the brain and the skull, thus causing pressure on the brain. The last form of head injury is the cerebral contusion the formation of a bruise on the cerebrum; the most significant part of the brain that consists of the right and left hemisphere. It usually causes swelling or bleeding in the brain which results from a tremendous impact on the head.

Depression

Depression, which is the feeling of despair in the aged football players are associated with the brain injury sustained during their period in the game as argued by Ahmad. He goes ahead to suggest that among the factors that are known to contribute to the condition is a physical change of the brain after injury. When the part responsible for controlling motions in the brain is injured, it interferes with the level of the chemical neurotransmitters thus resulting in depression. As the depression continues to become severe, it interferes with the way of life of the players thus losing hope and often committing suicide. According to a study, 40% of the old NFL players who had the cases of concussion during their period as players have mild depression (Ahmad 76). This indicates that shock among the players is related to cognitive symptoms of depression such as the feeling of worthlessness, sadness, as well as suicidal thoughts. Again, the study also indicates that there is an increase in the probability of developing depression if one experienced a concussion during adulthood. Concussions among the former NFL players lead to both the cognitive and mood disturbance. Thus, there is a correlation between the number of concussions experienced and the development of depression among the old players. This explains the reason why quite a number of the former players end up committing suicide. They are said to test positive for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and depression which results from frequent concussions.

Control and Treatment of TCE

Carroll (196) is of the opinion that the organization ought to develop a way to ensure that players do not continue to put their lives at risk of developing CTE and depression disorder due to the increased number of concussions received. Therefore, workers should be examined frequently with those who had has the latest concussion being allowed to stay away from the game to enable them to recover from mild brain trauma. In my opinion, if each shock experienced can be allowed to heal before one received more head blows there would be fewer cases of CTE (Carroll 196). This is because each blow would be required to cause a new injury rather than extending the existing one. As well have seen, CTE is as a result of repeated blows that results to the frequent concussion and even loss of consciousness.

Additionally, frequent medical attention should be made compulsory for all players, several times a year. This is to allow diagnosis of the disorder by establishing the number of concussions experienced by each player. Hence, those that are found at risk of developing CTE will be advised to entirely playing or taking a break to seek medical attention and correct the brain condition.

Dambinova (44), states that despite the studies of CTE involving the post-mortem analysis, the use of FDDNP PET tau imaging ligand can be used to detect brain trauma in-vivo. Another imaging modality that the organization ought to put into consideration is the magnetic reasoning imaging. This tool is being developed to help in the diagnosis of CTE through the use of neurometabolic such as N-acetyl aspartate, choline, and glutamine all which shows similar outcomes in the magnetic resonance spectroscopy as the CTE disease. According to Dambinova (44), the use of the biomarker to determine traumatic brain injury will help to respond to the damage as early as possible. The application of the biomarkers together with the diagnostic imaging such as Pet and MRI can help to offer early diagnosis, monitor the progress, as well as provide patients with timely therapeutic interventions before the disease becomes critical.

Conclusion

Head injuries are inevitable in the rough game of football. Therefore, there is a need for healthcare organizations together with the federation to establish ways to minimize the occurrence of the head injuries that result in brain damage. Reduction in the number of the concussion suffered by the players guarantees a decrease in the number of people that are likely to suffer from CTE and depression. Additionally, new technology should be adopted help in the diagnosis of the disease rather than waiting until death for it to be identified.

Works Cited

Ahmad, Shamim I., ed. Neurodegenerative diseases. Vol. 724. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Carroll, V. Susan. "League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth." Journal of Neuroscience Nursing 46.3 (2014): 196-197.

Dambinova, Svetlana A., Ronald L. Hayes, and Kevin KW Wang, eds. Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury. No. 24. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012.

National Research Council, and Committee on Sports-Related Concussions in Youth. Sports-related concussions in youth: improving the science, changing the culture. National Academies Press, 2014.