One-third of former NFL players believe they suffer a condition resulting from repeated head trauma, according to a survey conducted by Harvard University and published on Monday by JAMA Neurology.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE, is a degenerative brain disease thought to be common among professional football players. Currently, it cannot be diagnosed in living patients, fueling anxiety for those who fear they are enduring its deteriorating symptoms as time goes on.
The survey included players whose careers fell in the years 1960 to 2020. Of the 1,980 respondents, 681 said they believe they suffer from CTE. Over 230 said they’ve experienced suicidal thoughts, while an additional 176 reported a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or different forms of dementia.
Study co-author Dr. Ross Zafonte of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard expanded on this fear. “People are very obsessed, appropriately, with their concerns about CTE. We’re not trying to invalidate that in any way,” he said. “But treating people for the common things that can only make that pathology worse might make your symptoms better.”
Dr. Rachel Glashow, the survey’s lead author, told The Independent: “We know from conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, these neurodegenerative conditions that don’t really have treatments or cures at the moment [and] that are really hard to diagnose, a lot of those conditions are associated with some suicidality and thoughts of self-harm.”
The study was published amid the controversy surrounding Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who recently experienced another concussion in a game during Week 2. The 26-year-old already had a disturbing history of head injuries, this time seen curling his fingers while lying on the field in a manner associated with brain trauma.
The Alabama product’s Pro Bowl 2022 season was interrupted by a series of scary moments. In a September matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa collapsed after taking a big hit before enduring another concussion days later that saw him leave the stadium on a stretcher.
The NFL has come under fire for not doing enough to prevent concussions and other traumatic head injuries to its players. In response, the league revamped its concussion protocol so that athletes are now required to undergo neurological baseline tests before they can return to action if they are suspected of having suffered a concussion. Helmet designs also have been modified in hopes of reducing severe trauma to the brain from contact.
The 2015 film, Concussion, starring Will Smith, popularized the disease and helped raise public awareness of not only its severity but also the NFL’s implied negligence in addressing it. Polls indicate that more parents are hesitant to allow their children to play contact sports, fearing they may suffer a concussion. Others have argued that football is an inherently violent sport and that athletes fully understand the risks before stepping onto the field.
Over 300 former NFL players have been officially diagnosed with CTE following their deaths. Some of the most well-known cases include Aaron Hernandez, Junior Seau, John Mackey, Demaryius Thomas, and Vincent Jackson.