CTE: The silent killer in contact sports | Emer MacSweeney | TEDxAthens

Summary

This TED talk delves into the risks of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in contact sports, particularly from repetitive brain injuries. It highlights the dangers of sub-concussive impacts, which are more frequent and damaging than single concussions. Through examples like NFL players, soccer, and rugby athletes, the talk discusses the history, progression, and future treatment options for CTE. It also emphasizes the need for better brain protection, diagnosis, and treatments to safeguard athletes from life-altering brain injuries, aiming to raise awareness among players, parents, and coaches.

Takeaways

• 🏈 **Sport's Impact on Society**: Sports are culturally powerful and economically significant, but they also heighten the risk of brain injuries.
• 🧠 **CTE Awareness**: Despite awareness campaigns, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) remains underrecognized and inadequately addressed.
• 🥊 **Historical Understanding**: The link between dementia and brain injuries was known to the ancient Greeks, and 'punch-drunk' syndrome was recognized in 1940.
• 🏥 **CTE Discovery**: CTE was better understood in 2002 after the death of NFL player Mike Webster, whose brain showed abnormal tau protein.
• 👨‍⚕️ **CTE in Young Athletes**: CTE can develop early, as seen in Zac Easter, who began showing symptoms in his teenage years and committed suicide at 24.
• 🧪 **CTE Research**: In 2020, research by Dr. Ann McKee showed a strong link between head impacts in sports and cognitive symptoms later in life.
• 🧒 **Impact on Children**: Children who start playing contact sports at a young age may suffer long-term cognitive impairments.
• 🤕 **Sub-concussive Hits**: The risk of CTE is more associated with repeated minor impacts than with single major concussions.
• 👩‍🔬 **CTE in Women**: Women are also at risk of CTE, as shown by the case of Jacinda Barclay, an Australian rules football player.
• 🛡️ **Brain Protection**: New technologies like Rezon Halos® aim to reduce rotational forces to the brain, offering potential protection against CTE.
• 💊 **CTE Treatment**: There is hope for CTE treatment, with trials using drugs originally developed for Alzheimer's to potentially slow CTE progression.

Q & A

What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)?

CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive brain injuries, particularly in contact sports. It is characterized by the buildup of abnormal tau proteins in the brain, leading to mood changes, memory loss, cognitive impairment, and eventually dementia.

How was CTE first recognized in the sports world?

CTE was first identified in boxing, where it was known as 'punch-drunk syndrome.' The term CTE was introduced in 1940 to describe the progressive brain damage from repetitive head impacts. It gained wider attention after the 2002 death of NFL player Mike Webster, whose brain showed the characteristic signs of CTE.

What are the primary risks associated with sub-concussive impacts in contact sports?

Sub-concussive impacts, which do not produce immediate symptoms, are more frequent and just as dangerous as concussions. They gradually cause damage to brain cells, leading to CTE over time. Studies have shown that even minor impacts, when repeated, can cause significant long-term brain damage.

Why was the death of Zac Easter significant in understanding CTE?

Zac Easter's death was significant because he suspected he had CTE and left a note requesting his brain be examined. He had experienced symptoms from an early age after starting football at 8. His case highlighted that CTE can develop early, even in young players, raising awareness about its broader implications.

What is the relationship between the length of a player's career and their risk of developing CTE?

Research shows that the longer a player participates in contact sports, the higher their risk of developing CTE. For each additional year played, the risk increases by 30%. Those who played American football for more than 14.5 years were ten times more likely to develop CTE.

How does brain development in children affect their susceptibility to CTE?

Children who start playing contact sports before age 12 are at a higher risk of developing brain damage because critical brain development occurs between ages 9 and 11. Their brains are more vulnerable to repetitive sub-concussive impacts during this time.

What is the difference between a concussion and a sub-concussion?

A concussion results from a forceful impact that causes acute brain injury with noticeable symptoms such as headaches or memory loss. A sub-concussion is a lower-impact hit that damages brain cells without causing immediate symptoms, making it harder to detect but equally dangerous over time.

Why are helmets not fully effective in preventing CTE?

Helmets protect the skull from fractures but do not prevent the brain from experiencing rotational forces during impacts. These rotational forces cause significant brain damage, leading to CTE. Therefore, while helmets reduce skull injuries, they are not effective at preventing brain injuries.

How is CTE currently diagnosed in living individuals?

CTE can now be diagnosed in life using advanced imaging techniques, such as sophisticated MRI and DTI sequences. These methods allow researchers to identify brain injury consistent with CTE in living individuals, which is a breakthrough for early detection and potential treatment.

What treatments are being explored to slow the progression of CTE?

One potential treatment is HMTM, a drug originally developed to target abnormal tau proteins in Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical trials are being conducted to see if HMTM can help slow or halt the progression of CTE in former contact sports players.