Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
Thomas Liggins
ITT Technical Institute/ N. Las Vegas
Instructor: Ron Schaeffer
ES3220
27th February, 2013
There is a dark cloud hanging over the world of contact sports and it is growing at an alarming rate. With the size and speed of today’s athletes, the sports of football and hockey have become more exciting, fast paced, wide open, and fun to watch. However, there is another consequence of these ever growing athletes on their sports. They have made the collisions in them increasingly more violent. The velocity that these athletes hurl themselves through the air has created an atmosphere that could not have been imagined when these sports were created. Although the athletes’ bodies have become stronger and more agile, there are still weak points in a persons’ body that size and strength cannot compensate for. One of these points, and the most crucial of all, is the brain. The incidences of concussions among athletes has been steadily on the rise and with this increase, more and more athletes have suffered multiple concussions, which leads to the occurrence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, which has become a term that is gaining recognition among those who are treating these athletes (Jolicoeur et al, 2007). CTE is a brain disorder that has symptoms that appear to be like Alzheimer’s and is caused by repeated trauma or concussions to the brain. The difference being that it is not genetic and can be prevented (Zeigler n.d.). Though many who have participated in these sports, even at high levels, don’t have symptoms and rates of concussions among NHL players has seen a recent decline, sports organizations have to take more aggressive actions to prevent concussions because high school, college and professional football players and NHL players have still been suffering concussions at an extremely high rate (Burke et al, 2011).
Sports organizations have to take more aggressive actions to prevent concussions.
Thomas Liggins
ITT Technical Institute/ N. Las Vegas
Instructor: Ron Schaeffer
ES3220
27th February, 2013
There is a dark cloud hanging over the world of contact sports and it is growing at an alarming rate. With the size and speed of today’s athletes, the sports of football and hockey have become more exciting, fast paced, wide open, and fun to watch. However, there is another consequence of these ever growing athletes on their sports. They have made the collisions in them increasingly more violent. The velocity that these athletes hurl themselves through the air has created an atmosphere that could not have been imagined when these sports were created. Although the athletes’ bodies have become stronger and more agile, there are still weak points in a persons’ body that size and strength cannot compensate for. One of these points, and the most crucial of all, is the brain. The incidences of concussions among athletes has been steadily on the rise and with this increase, more and more athletes have suffered multiple concussions, which leads to the occurrence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, which has become a term that is gaining recognition among those who are treating these athletes (Jolicoeur et al, 2007). CTE is a brain disorder that has symptoms that appear to be like Alzheimer’s and is caused by repeated trauma or concussions to the brain. The difference being that it is not genetic and can be prevented (Zeigler n.d.). Though many who have participated in these sports, even at high levels, don’t have symptoms and rates of concussions among NHL players has seen a recent decline, sports organizations have to take more aggressive actions to prevent concussions because high school, college and professional football players and NHL players have still been suffering concussions at an extremely high rate (Burke et al, 2011).
Sports organizations have to take more aggressive actions to prevent concussions.
Cited: Benson, Brian W., Willem H. Meeuwisse, John Rizos, Kang Jian, and Charles J. Burke. ""A Prospective Study Of Concussions Among National Hockey League Players During Regular Season Games: The NHL- NHLPA Concussion Program." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 183.8 (2011): 905 - 911. Academic Search Elite. Web. 5 Feb. 2012. Jolicoeur, Pierre , Louis De Beaumont, Benoit Brisson, And Maryse Lassonde. "Long-Term Electrophysiological Changes In Athletes With A History Of Multiple Concussions." Brain Injury 21.6 (2007): 631-644. Academic Search Elite. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. Lazarus, Arthur. "NFL Concussions and Common Sense A Recipe for Medical Errors and a Lesson for Physician Leaders." Physician Executive 37.1 (2011): 6 - 9. Physician Executive. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Miller, Michael Craig. "Concussions In Football." Harvard Mental Health Letter 26.7 (2010): 8. Academic Search Elite. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. Zeigler, Terry. "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)." Sports Injuries, Sports Medicine, Injury Treatment Videos, and Find a Doctor. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.sportsmd.com/Articles/id/44.aspx>.