1 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had CTE, study estimates
Researchers said the true rate could be higher, and more than 90% of Stage IV cases also had dementia.
- On Tuesday, a study published in the British Medical Journal estimated at least 25% of former National Football League players who died between 2016 and 2021 suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy , a degenerative brain disease.
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy can only be diagnosed through post-mortem autopsy; researchers calculated the 25% figure by analyzing brain donations and death records for 878 former players who died during that six-year study period.
- Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, the study's lead author at Mass General Brigham, reported that CTE severity at death significantly correlates with dementia; roughly 61.3% of brain donors with the disease met clinical criteria for dementia before their deaths.
- Daneshvar urged teams at all levels—youth, high school, and college—to reduce cumulative head impacts during practice, arguing that nearly 70% of impacts occur in practice rather than games.
- While an NFL spokesperson stated the league "continuously strives to make the game of football safer," researchers suggest the actual CTE prevalence could range from 24.5% to 97.7%, indicating further studies are needed.
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A new devastating study by British Medical Journal shows that 25% of football players are affected by ETC symptoms
A new study published in the British Medical Journal indicates that up to 97.7% of the NFL players analyzed may have developed brain diseases associated with repetitive impacts on the head. Researchers also identified dementia as a common condition among the athletes evaluated. It never ends? Penalty dispute in Italy ends after 42 collections Ex-Botafogo, Davide Ancelotti receives praise from the world champion for France: 'Very cult trainer' Th…
Scientists Estimate Rate of CTE Among NFL Players
A new study puts a hard number on a question that's dogged the NFL: how many of its players die with CTE. Researchers from Mass General Brigham, writing in the British Medical Journal , estimate that at least 1 in 4 NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had the...
The progressive brain disease CTE could hit professional footballers much more frequently than previously assumed. This is indicated by a study for which researchers have investigated the brains of dead ex-players.
At least a quarter of NFL players may get brain disease: study
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is caused by repeated head impacts and its symptoms include trouble with thinking and memory loss, difficulty walking, emotional instability and suicidal thoughts. It has previously been linked to contact sports including American football and boxing, and found in military members exposed to explosive blasts. But since CTE can only be confirmed in a post-mortem brain exam, the true extent of CTE among NFL p…
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