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New England Patriots running back James White (28) is hit by Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal (22) during Super Bowl LI.

Study finds 99% of former NFL players have brain disease caused by blows to the head

Head injury risks in the US sport have become a major concern as former players speak out about long-term health effects.

AS A NEW American football season is set to begin, researchers examining the brains of deceased NFL players have found that 99% of them showed signs of degenerative disease — believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head.

Researchers found striking evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 110 of the 111 donated brains of players who played in the National Football League, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

CTE causes symptoms including memory loss, vertigo, depression and dementia. Problems can crop up years after a player’s career has ended.

The NFL has faced growing scrutiny in recent years linked to the issue of concussions and head trauma, with the league agreeing in 2015 on a $1 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits by former players suffering from neurological problems.

Along with NFL players, researchers also examined the brains of those who had played in high school, college, semi-professionally and in the Canadian Football League.

NFL Cowboys vs Vikings Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) is sacked by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving (95). TNS / ABACA TNS / ABACA / ABACA

Of the total 202 players examined, the authors of the study from Boston University found that 87% of the players — whose median age at death was 66 years old — showed signs of CTE.

“These findings suggest that CTE may be related to prior participation in football and that a high level of play may be related to substantial disease burden,” the study authors wrote.

The most acute evidence of the degenerative condition, which currently can only be diagnosed post-mortem, was found among those who played at the highest levels, with 86 percent of professional players having severe forms of CTE.

Though the research — the largest CTE study published to date — suggests the disease may be related to prior participation in football, researchers cautioned against extrapolating the results to the general population.

Because the brains studied were for the most part donated by concerned families, they do not necessarily represent all people who have played the rough contact sport.

Traumatic impact

All Star Central / YouTube

Head injury risks in the US sport have become a major concern as former players speak out about long-term health effects, including erratic behavior and mood disorders.

The issue sprang to the fore after Junior Seau — considered one of the greatest linebackers of all time — shot himself in 2012 at the age of 43.

A post-mortem study of his brain showed that he had been suffering from CTE.

Another former player, Dave Duerson — who killed himself in 2011 — was also found to have the condition, a possible explanation for his mood swings and depression.

Last year, an NFL official acknowledged for the first time a clear link between football and CTE.

In recent years, the league has donated money to concussion research and stepped up regulations in an attempt at minimizing the potentially traumatic physical impact of the game.

In a statement widely published in US media, the league said it appreciated the study “for the value it adds in the ongoing quest for a better understanding of CTE.”

“The NFL will continue to work with a wide range of experts to improve the health of current and former NFL athletes,” the statement said, noting that “there are still many unanswered questions relating to the cause, incidence and prevalence of long-term effects of head trauma such as CTE.”

“The NFL is committed to supporting scientific research into CTE and advancing progress in the prevention and treatment of head injuries.”

© – AFP, 2017

Read: Trial of wife and father-in-law hears of extensive damage to skull of Irishman Jason Corbett

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    Mute Twitruser2022
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 6:13 AM

    Typical HSE mis-management BS, can’t even process a small bonus efficiently, needs to have red tape wrapped around it.
    Would somebody ever do a cull of all the chaff that’s employed there, how many layers of management is actually needed? The real workers such as nurses and doctors and health care assistants and porters are constantly getting shafted by management.

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    Mute Stephen Barry
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 6:49 AM

    Not to mention the catering staff who have to work over 70 hours a week in wards and they’re the ones that didn’t get it, in one hospital!!

    192
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    Mute C
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:59 AM

    I bet you all the staff would prefer a well organised, well managed, zero religion health care system with just one administrative HQ, a unified IT system, one set of digital of patient records, one x-ray IT system, doctors with reasonable hours, closed consultancy positions, the return of the matron, a HR group that can fill a vacancy in quickly and fill better ways to fill vacancies than hiring locum doctors and firing them before they get permanent employee status and so on and so on over a €1,000 bonus. Depressing really.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:44 AM

    @C: yes we would – except for the return of the matron which would be a backward step

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    Mute C
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 4:13 PM

    @Dave Harris: I don’t agree. They were the ward managers and they were very good at managing the wards, nurses, even the doctors and they ensured everything was done properly, everything was clean etc. That management is missing.

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    Mute Bertie
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:08 AM

    More like they are still trying to find ways to disqualify more people from getting it.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 9:23 AM

    @Bertie: or every Tom, Dick and Henrietta are putting their hand up for it I should imagine. I’m sure the unions have their members backs.

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    Mute der Fussballmeister
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:54 AM

    The people in test and vaccine centres at all levels have earned it. Really appreciated their efforts.

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    Mute Brendan Gordon
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:08 AM

    @der Fussballmeister: and yet we were the only people who were literally just doing our jobs, and knew exactly what we were getting into from the start. Don’t get me wrong, my greed is winning out and I’m taking the money, but I feel like I was well compensated for my work.
    The bonus payment does take a little sting out of the corrupt managerial bullshit I had to deal with though

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    Mute Becca Laste
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:57 AM

    @der Fussballmeister: I worked as a swabber from November 2020 to last month and we haven’t recieved it.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 12:20 PM

    @Becca Laste: Thank you both, you all made a stressful time less hard.

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    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:52 AM

    Mater Private hospital made €220,000,000 from a Covid related government contract; staff dealt with Covid patients on wards.

    Staff got zero €. Consultants? Well that’s a another story. Disgraceful stuff, constantly changing management and using it as excuse among many others muted for not looking after a staff that to be honest isn’t many people who are full time. Moral is on the ground and the discourse is sullen to say the least.

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    Mute SkylineSi
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 11:42 AM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: any proof for that claim?

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    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 12:25 PM
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    Mute Ciaran bolger
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 4:45 PM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: the article clearly states that the one group that was NOT paid were the consultants. Yet you single out consultants in your comments, why? Senior management that were paid not mentioned by you??

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    Mute Robert Johnson Fagan
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:50 AM

    1000 euro!! Wow!! Amazing!! I wished I risked my life working in the front line instead of working at home. The appreciation of this staff is so overwhelming

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    Mute Pat Ryan
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 10:16 AM

    @Robert Johnson Fagan: I bet you do! You could have worked as a swabber on your days off if you wanted it that much. Why didn’t you?

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    Mute Daniel Andrews
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 4:41 PM

    @Pat Ryan: that went completely over your head Patsy

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    Mute Mary Nugent
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:18 AM

    If they were over payed it would have to be paid back pronto.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:48 AM

    We were promised a payment for being stranded at work during the beast from the east snowstorm. It literally took 1 year for us to get it. Pay us the bonus, or don’t pay it- just stop all this faffing about

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    Mute Will Roche
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 9:35 AM

    Can we not get the head of the DAA to sort this out? He seems to be able to fast-track himself through security so fast tracking this would not be an issue for him.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:50 AM

    Disgraceful and disgusting behaviour.

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 9:04 AM

    A lot of Junior medical staff change hospitals every 6 months, some every 3months,- they will be moved to hospitals who will have already paid the bonus to their staff, and so will be excluded from the payment.

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    Mute Murray Mitchell
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 11:13 AM

    Wonder when the government are going to acknowledge the contribution of the country’s truck & bus drivers who worked long hours at the height of the pandemic to ensure other essential workers got to work, and made sure the general population were able to buy food and fuel.

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    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
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    Jun 2nd 2022, 12:24 PM
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