CTE is a very dangerous protein-like disease that develops in ones brain. This development occurs when ones brain has been subjected to a large amount of repeated traumatic blows. This happens a lot in sports such as football and boxing, but one can get a concussion from walking into a wall, or tripping and falling down. I was astounded at some of the number that I found while researching. A little over 50% of players who come out of the NFL have some sort of brain altercation because of it, almost half of those people suffer CTE, while others have less significant problems. I also found that almost 100 former NFL athletes have committed suicide, and when their brains were tested, they all were found to have significant CTE. CTE is a very serious problem that is stemming from contact sports such as football, and this is hard for me to admit. I love football and have played since I was little, but the game is changing. People are getting bigger and more aggressive, and a full out blow to the head can injure someone now much more than it could 30-40 years ago. Companies such as Riddell have made large strides in helmet technology, and how we can protect our heads. The NFL has imposed lots of concussion protocols, and changes rules to try and eliminate the helmet from the tackle as much as possible. Where we lack is in knowledge, the people who play the game need to be more informed of the risk they are taking damaging their heads, and how they can help prevent it. Right now, concussion numbers are only going up, but with more education and knowledge, this number can be brought down.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
11/1 Analytical
As I continued to read articles on TBI's and the affects of CTE long term, I have come to a conclusion on my biggest essential question, should players be worried about damaging their brain long term. Due to my research over the past few months, my opinion is yes, one who plays the sport is subjecting themselves to a much higher chance of developing brain damage in the future.
CTE is a very dangerous protein-like disease that develops in ones brain. This development occurs when ones brain has been subjected to a large amount of repeated traumatic blows. This happens a lot in sports such as football and boxing, but one can get a concussion from walking into a wall, or tripping and falling down. I was astounded at some of the number that I found while researching. A little over 50% of players who come out of the NFL have some sort of brain altercation because of it, almost half of those people suffer CTE, while others have less significant problems. I also found that almost 100 former NFL athletes have committed suicide, and when their brains were tested, they all were found to have significant CTE. CTE is a very serious problem that is stemming from contact sports such as football, and this is hard for me to admit. I love football and have played since I was little, but the game is changing. People are getting bigger and more aggressive, and a full out blow to the head can injure someone now much more than it could 30-40 years ago. Companies such as Riddell have made large strides in helmet technology, and how we can protect our heads. The NFL has imposed lots of concussion protocols, and changes rules to try and eliminate the helmet from the tackle as much as possible. Where we lack is in knowledge, the people who play the game need to be more informed of the risk they are taking damaging their heads, and how they can help prevent it. Right now, concussion numbers are only going up, but with more education and knowledge, this number can be brought down.
CTE is a very dangerous protein-like disease that develops in ones brain. This development occurs when ones brain has been subjected to a large amount of repeated traumatic blows. This happens a lot in sports such as football and boxing, but one can get a concussion from walking into a wall, or tripping and falling down. I was astounded at some of the number that I found while researching. A little over 50% of players who come out of the NFL have some sort of brain altercation because of it, almost half of those people suffer CTE, while others have less significant problems. I also found that almost 100 former NFL athletes have committed suicide, and when their brains were tested, they all were found to have significant CTE. CTE is a very serious problem that is stemming from contact sports such as football, and this is hard for me to admit. I love football and have played since I was little, but the game is changing. People are getting bigger and more aggressive, and a full out blow to the head can injure someone now much more than it could 30-40 years ago. Companies such as Riddell have made large strides in helmet technology, and how we can protect our heads. The NFL has imposed lots of concussion protocols, and changes rules to try and eliminate the helmet from the tackle as much as possible. Where we lack is in knowledge, the people who play the game need to be more informed of the risk they are taking damaging their heads, and how they can help prevent it. Right now, concussion numbers are only going up, but with more education and knowledge, this number can be brought down.
10/31 quickburst
https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/06/15/concussion-settlement-9-million-claims
This is a video on the first two claims that wee settled, in which the NFL handed out heafty amounts of money to families of people lost to severe CTE. This was a huge step in getting the NFL to admit what they did was wrong, and making them pay for it.
This is a video on the first two claims that wee settled, in which the NFL handed out heafty amounts of money to families of people lost to severe CTE. This was a huge step in getting the NFL to admit what they did was wrong, and making them pay for it.
Monday, October 29, 2018
10/29 quote
As I finished my last book of the quarter, I took time to reflect on the significance of the concussion problem today, and I found a quote from Bennett Omalu that summarizes my opinion on this topic.
"The best way out is always through" (Laskas 157).
I like this quote because it brings Bennett whole life struggle into a short sentence, while doing thew same thing for the fight against hiding concussions. For Bennett or anyone else in this fight, it was not an easy victory. The road was long and hard, and they took quite a mental beating. Every time Bennett put out a good piece of work indicating that there was a head injury problem in the league, he would be called a fraud and told his work was garbage. This happened multiple times, and it took other esteemed scientists to back him up on his research for anyone to listen, and even then the NFL stood tall. It took a court case at almost the highest level for families of victims to be compensated for their loss, and the NFL admit that there was a problem with concussion in the league, and there was things they could be doing to fix it.
It took one brave man to stand up who didn't care about his persona, or his reputation, all he cared about was doing the right thing and protecting people from unknowingly hurting themselves. After many long years of fighting, Bennett Omalu and his team finally won. They brought a national organization to court, sued them, and made them put precautions up like warnings, concussion protocol, and now changed to the rules to help keep helmets out of tackling. Not only does this quote sum up Bennett's fight against the league, it can be applied to almost every aspect of life. Life isn't easy, its usually hard. The best feeling in life is overcoming challenges and getting to the top of that mountain you've been climbing. The road is never easy, and there is many speed bumps, but if one is determined to do what he believes is right, then no road is too steep, no challenge too great to overcome.
"The best way out is always through" (Laskas 157).
I like this quote because it brings Bennett whole life struggle into a short sentence, while doing thew same thing for the fight against hiding concussions. For Bennett or anyone else in this fight, it was not an easy victory. The road was long and hard, and they took quite a mental beating. Every time Bennett put out a good piece of work indicating that there was a head injury problem in the league, he would be called a fraud and told his work was garbage. This happened multiple times, and it took other esteemed scientists to back him up on his research for anyone to listen, and even then the NFL stood tall. It took a court case at almost the highest level for families of victims to be compensated for their loss, and the NFL admit that there was a problem with concussion in the league, and there was things they could be doing to fix it.
It took one brave man to stand up who didn't care about his persona, or his reputation, all he cared about was doing the right thing and protecting people from unknowingly hurting themselves. After many long years of fighting, Bennett Omalu and his team finally won. They brought a national organization to court, sued them, and made them put precautions up like warnings, concussion protocol, and now changed to the rules to help keep helmets out of tackling. Not only does this quote sum up Bennett's fight against the league, it can be applied to almost every aspect of life. Life isn't easy, its usually hard. The best feeling in life is overcoming challenges and getting to the top of that mountain you've been climbing. The road is never easy, and there is many speed bumps, but if one is determined to do what he believes is right, then no road is too steep, no challenge too great to overcome.
Friday, October 26, 2018
10/26 vocab
This week I finished the book, The Concussion Repair Manual, by Dr. Dan Engle, pages 170-222. After that I read some online articles that pertained to my topic of TBI's.
“Traumatic Brain Injury | TBI.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Sept. 2018, medlineplus.gov/traumaticbraininjury.html.
McAllister, Thomas W. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, Les Laboratoires Servier, Sept. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3182015/.
Phytochemical(174): Also called phytonutrient. any of various bioactive chemical compounds found in plants, as antioxidants,considered to be beneficial to human health.
Myriad (175): A very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things.
Permeable (178): Capable of being permeated.
Bioavailability(179):The extent to which a nutrient or medication can be used by the body.
Curcumin (180): The compound C21H20O6, a major active ingredient in turmeric and
thought to have antioxidant and anticancer properties.
Apoptosis(187):A normal, genetically regulated process leading to the death of cells and triggered by the presence or absence of certain stimuli, as DNA damage.
Detriments (205): Loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury.
Longitudinal(205): pertaining to or extending along the long axis
of the body, or the direction from front to back,or head to tail.
Electroencephalography(207):An instrument for measuring and recording the electric activity of the brain.
Neurophysiological(208):The branch of physiology dealing with the functions of the nervous system.
Neuronetrix(209):The study of genetic factors that contribute to development of neurological disorders.
“Traumatic Brain Injury | TBI.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Sept. 2018, medlineplus.gov/traumaticbraininjury.html.
McAllister, Thomas W. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, Les Laboratoires Servier, Sept. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3182015/.
“Browse Head Trauma.” New England Journal of Medicine, www.nejm.org/medical-research/head-trauma.
Philipps, Dave, et al. “Traumatic Brain Injury.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 July 2018, www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/traumatic-brain-injury.
Phytochemical(174): Also called phytonutrient. any of various bioactive chemical compounds found in plants, as antioxidants,considered to be beneficial to human health.
Myriad (175): A very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things.
Permeable (178): Capable of being permeated.
Bioavailability(179):The extent to which a nutrient or medication can be used by the body.
Curcumin (180): The compound C21H20O6, a major active ingredient in turmeric and
thought to have antioxidant and anticancer properties.
Apoptosis(187):A normal, genetically regulated process leading to the death of cells and triggered by the presence or absence of certain stimuli, as DNA damage.
Detriments (205): Loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury.
Longitudinal(205): pertaining to or extending along the long axis
of the body, or the direction from front to back,or head to tail.
Electroencephalography(207):An instrument for measuring and recording the electric activity of the brain.
Neurophysiological(208):The branch of physiology dealing with the functions of the nervous system.
Neuronetrix(209):The study of genetic factors that contribute to development of neurological disorders.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
10/25 Analytical
This week in, The Concussion Repair Manual, by Dr. Dan Engle, I learned about a way to help the brain recover after a TBI called SPECT Imaging. SPECT imaging is a type of nuclear imaging test that shows how blood flows to tissues and organs, more specifically the brain. It provides a 3D view of the blood flow to different brain regions, helping to identify areas of impairment. This is a highly accurate and specific test that injects radioactive substance and nuclear imaging equipment int the brain and provides a picture. These are colored pictures that highlight the parts of the brain and have problem performing functions.
This is a SPECT image, that highlights the different areas of the brain. Because of the limited availability of places who will perform SPECT imaging tests, it is a very expensive rehabilitation, costing between three and five thousand dollars. Not only are these impressive images very clear and helpful in the short term, they help doctors to measure the brains recovery over time. It can also very clearly point out post concussion syndrome, and is being used to help the study of CTE. Overall the SPECTimaging Rehabilitation process is a very unique and powerful way to help locate ones areas of impairment, which can halp a patient begin a specialized plan to get healthy, or as healthy as they can be, again. I would highly suggest this to anyone who is having difficulty recovering from a TBI, as it is very accurate and reliable.
This is a SPECT Imaging system, in which the patient lays in the bed and is exposed to the radioactive substance and nuclear imaging equipment.
This is a SPECT image, that highlights the different areas of the brain. Because of the limited availability of places who will perform SPECT imaging tests, it is a very expensive rehabilitation, costing between three and five thousand dollars. Not only are these impressive images very clear and helpful in the short term, they help doctors to measure the brains recovery over time. It can also very clearly point out post concussion syndrome, and is being used to help the study of CTE. Overall the SPECTimaging Rehabilitation process is a very unique and powerful way to help locate ones areas of impairment, which can halp a patient begin a specialized plan to get healthy, or as healthy as they can be, again. I would highly suggest this to anyone who is having difficulty recovering from a TBI, as it is very accurate and reliable.Wednesday, October 24, 2018
10/24 quickburst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4foY1EtmKo
This is a very good video about a star football player who got a severe TBI. This is a great example of how dangerous TBI's are, and how they can completely change peoples lives. One hit took him out of football forever and affected everyone who knew him.
This is a very good video about a star football player who got a severe TBI. This is a great example of how dangerous TBI's are, and how they can completely change peoples lives. One hit took him out of football forever and affected everyone who knew him.
Monday, October 22, 2018
10/22 Quote
In the next 100 pages or so in, The Concussion Repair manual, by Dr. Dan Engle, the author continues to talk about different types of therapy for people suffering severe TBI's. After that he gets into real world examples and how dangerous sports such as football are.
"Researchers studying more than 2,500 retired, professional football players determined that players who had sustained three or more concussions were five times more likely to have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment than were retired players without histories of concussion" (Engle 188).
This quote is a crazy stat when it comes to football, because it seems like everyone gets a concussion if they play football. Every season I play, at least a few of my teammates are forced to sit out due to a concussion or concussion symptoms. I know multiple friends who have had three or more concussions, thus taking them out of contact sports, and statistically making them much more vulnerable to CTE or future brain problems. It is crazy to me that sports such as football, MMA, boxing, and lacrosse have so many head injuries, and still have not changed the way they are played. Don't get me wrong I love all these sports, but it is ridiculous to keep putting ourselves in danger, when there are things we can do to help the problem. There needs to be more time and money put into concussion and CTE research so the public is completely clear of what it is and ho we can prevent it. It is a serious disease that affects way to many people, and affects their family even more.
"Researchers studying more than 2,500 retired, professional football players determined that players who had sustained three or more concussions were five times more likely to have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment than were retired players without histories of concussion" (Engle 188).
Friday, October 19, 2018
10/19 Reading and Vocab
This week I have read from pages 84-170 in the book, The Concussion Repair Manual, by Dr Dan Engle.
Proprioception(132): perception governed by proprioceptors, as awareness of the position of one's body.
Postural (133):the position of the limbs or the carriage of the body as a whole.
Dendrites (141): the branching process of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell.
Thalamus(142): the middle part of the diencephalon
through which sensory impulses pass to reach the
cerebral cortex.
Agoraphobia(144): an abnormal fear of being in
crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes
accompanied by anxiety attacks.
Incurred(144):To become liable or subject to through one's own action; bring or take upon oneself.
Prognosis (145): A forecasting of the probable course and outcome of a disease, especially of the chances of recovery.
Amassed (147): to gather for oneself; collect as one's own.
Turbulent (150): Given to acts of violence and aggression.
Empirically(151):Depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, especially as in medicine.
Detoxify (161): To detox.
Proprioception(132): perception governed by proprioceptors, as awareness of the position of one's body.
Postural (133):the position of the limbs or the carriage of the body as a whole.
Dendrites (141): the branching process of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell.
Thalamus(142): the middle part of the diencephalon
through which sensory impulses pass to reach thecerebral cortex.
Agoraphobia(144): an abnormal fear of being in
crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes
accompanied by anxiety attacks.
Incurred(144):To become liable or subject to through one's own action; bring or take upon oneself.
Prognosis (145): A forecasting of the probable course and outcome of a disease, especially of the chances of recovery.
Amassed (147): to gather for oneself; collect as one's own.
Turbulent (150): Given to acts of violence and aggression.
Empirically(151):Depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, especially as in medicine.
Detoxify (161): To detox.
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