As the world continues pontificating over the significance of the NFL protests, and whether theyre directly connected to the leagues ratings decrease, many have forgotten about the original sin of pigskin. Getting ones bell rung had simply been a part of the game. However, cutting edge breakthroughs in science and medicine continually reveal the possibilities of a broken life after the game due to the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. A major hurdle in diagnosing CTE is that it could only be done posthumously.
ABC News on Twitter
Former NFL player confirmed as first diagnosis of CTE in living patient. https://t.co/yYO5rugSxd
The degenerative brain disease found in those with repetitive brain trauma could only be guessed at due to outward behavior, but researchers in Chicago report that they may have accomplished what was previously impossible by detecting the presence of a protein that is indicative of damaged neural cells, according to the study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. The proteins, or tau, slowly spread throughout the brain, killing brain cells, according to the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
The research was done on 14 retired NFL players while they were still alive. When one of them died, researchers were able to determine the accuracy of their initial hypothesis. A posthumous scan revealed the presence of the disease.
