The brains of NFL players studied by BU researchers have CTE in 92 percent of cases.

In another worrisome sign for the future of professional soccer, Boston University researchers announced Monday that they discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition, in 345 of 376 former players in the NFL they studied.

Researchers at the CTE Center, who have been sounding the alarm about the disease for years, said the 91.7 percent occurrence rate contrasts starkly with that of the general population, which is characterized as “extremely low.”

For perspective, in 2018, the Framingham Heart Study found only one case of CTE in 164 brain samples, and that sample came from a former college football player.

CTE can only be diagnosed after death, but as the disease gained notoriety, many soccer players agreed to posthumously donate their brains for research.

The BU researchers believe that ‘repetitive impacts to the head’ are the main cause of CTE, although they are quick to point out that their latest findings are tainted by selection bias. So while more than 9 out of 10 players studied were found to have CTE, that doesn’t necessarily mean that 90 percent of NFL alumni have the disease.

“While more tragic outcomes in people with CTE grab the headlines, we want to remind people at risk for CTE that such experiences are in the minority,” BU CTE Center Director Dr. Ann McKee said in a statement. Your symptoms, whether or not related to CTE, can probably be treated and you should seek medical attention. Our clinical team has been successful in treating former soccer players with mental health issues and other symptoms in midlife.”

Former players diagnosed with CTE in the past year include Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Rick Arrington, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Ed Lothamer and Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas, whose family said they he showed signs of erratic behavior and paranoia in the years leading up to his death. in 2022.

The NFL has continued to tighten its concussion protocols this season after receiving criticism for its handling of several head injuries to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

McKee previously examined the brain of another former NFL player, Phillip Adams, and concluded that he also suffered from stage 2 CTE. Adams killed six people and himself in South Carolina in 2021.

McKee compared Adams’ brain disease to that of Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots star who was convicted of murder before committing suicide in prison. Hernandez was found to have stage 3 CTE.

McKee, director of the CTE Center at Boston University, previously examined the brain of another former NFL player, Phillip Adams, and concluded that he also suffered from stage 2 CTE. Adams killed six people and himself in South Carolina in 2021. Similarly, former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson was found to have stage 2 CTE after being discovered dead in a hotel room in 2021.

Adams was 32 when he shot dead Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, his wife, Barbara, 69, two of their grandsons, Adah, 9, and Noah, 5, as well as the technicians at HVAC James Lewis and Robert Shook, both 38 years old. , on April 7, 2021, in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Police later found Adams with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Adams’s family agreed to send his brain to Boston University for examination.

Adams, who suffered a pair of concussions within a three-week span in 2012, had applied for NFL disability benefits before his death but was struggling to get approval, according to his family.

Similarly, former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson was found to have stage 2 CTE after being discovered dead in a hotel room in 2021.

His family suspected CTE because he suffered multiple concussions during a 12-year NFL career. However, he was never officially diagnosed with a traumatic head injury, according to team records.

That’s not weird. About 20 percent of people with the brain disease have never been diagnosed with a concussion, according to doctors at the Boston University CTE Center.

“We’d like to thank our 1,330 donor families for teaching us what we now know about CTE, and our team and collaborators around the world who are working to advance diagnostics and treatments for CTE,” said McKee.

Many researchers such as McKee and Boston University Associate Professor Lee E. Goldstein (MD, PhD) now believe that subconcussive blows also play a role in CTE. That means seemingly harmless contact during a soccer game or practice could also be a contributing factor to CTE.

“The NFL needs to revise its awareness campaign to focus on repetitive blows to the head that don’t rise to the concussion level,” McKee told GMA in 2021.

In a statement to GMA, the NFL pointed to its own efforts to fight CTE, such as a $100 million investigative pledge in 2016, the same year the league agreed to a $1 billion concussion settlement with former players.

‘The NFL continues to mourn the [family] of Vincent Jackson,’ the league statement said. “There is more to learn about head injuries and related illnesses, and while the NFL is funding that important work, we also continue to make tangible progress in protecting players and making our game safer.”

Both the NFL and NCAA have worked to reduce full contact practice repetitions for players in an effort to reduce the apparent risks of CTE.

WHAT IS CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY (CTE)?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head. Over time, these bumps result in the buildup of tau protein around the brain, which can lead to confusion, depression and eventually dementia.

There have been several retired football players who have presented with brain diseases, many of whom attribute their condition to the game.

More than 1,800 former athletes and military veterans have pledged to donate their brains to the Concussion Legacy Foundation for CTE research.

CTE was usually associated with boxing before former NFL players began disclosing their terms.

Several notable players who committed suicide were posthumously diagnosed with the disease, such as Junior Seau and Aaron Hernandez.

While often linked to concussions, many researchers such as Lee E. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at Boston University, now believe that subconcussive blows also play a role in CTE.

“Over the course of an NFL season, the vast majority of hits are subconcussive,” Goldstein told DailyMail.com. ‘I’m not saying [the NFL is] bad for focusing on concussions. But I’m saying they’re prioritizing wrong.

At the top is a normal brain, unaffected by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Bottom, a brain sample from the late former University of Texas football player Greg Ploetz, who had stage IV CTE, as seen by the accumulation of dark tau protein around the edges.