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Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
https://mail.chicagofanatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=80993		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  conns7901 [ Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
Im sure this will be touched on in the near future on the show.


By John Keilman, Chicago Tribune reporter

8:37 p.m. CDT, August 7, 2013

A new study by a Chicago-area researcher casts doubt on the idea that football players are suffering the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, but the findings still show an elevated risk of cognitive problems later in life.

Christopher Randolph, a neurology professor at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and his colleagues found that ex-NFL players who showed signs of cognitive problems appeared no different than a group of older people with the same issues. There was no sign of CTE, a condition that has been diagnosed in some troubled former football stars who committed suicide.

"There's basically no evidence that there's any unique disease that affects retired NFL players," he said.

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Randolph is a well-known critic of the concept of CTE, saying the condition's biological hallmark — tangles of a protein called tau — is also present in the brains of older people who have no cognitive problems. The supposed symptoms of CTE — including aggression, impulsiveness and memory loss — are so broad as to be meaningless, he has said.

Other experts take strong exception to Randolph's conclusion, saying the vast majority of researchers believe that CTE is a distinct condition and that it has not been found in anyone who did not have a history of repetitive brain trauma.

The latest study surveyed hundreds of ex-NFL players over the age of 50, giving them a screening test meant to discern if they have cognitive impairment. About 35 percent — a surprisingly large portion, Randolph said — showed signs of trouble.

The scientists followed up with more rigorous neuropsychological testing of 41 NFL retirees who appeared to have cognitive impairment, comparing them with older people who also had impairments but who had never played a professional contact sport.

The test results of the two groups were very similar, leading Randolph to conclude that the brain problems plaguing some ex-NFL players is the same kind of cognitive trouble suffered by many older people.

He acknowledged, though, that the high percentage of former players who showed signs of impairment was a potential danger sign. It could be evidence of "diminished cerebral reserve," in which years of blows to the head leave ex-players more susceptible to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Randolph said.

More study on the subject is needed, he said.

"If there is any increased risk, I don't believe it's all that higher (than the population at large), but I still want to take a look at it," he said.
Author:  doug - evergreen park [ Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
Well, let us hope this is discussed for at least an hour, or a month...
Author:  redskingreg [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
BECAUSE CTE IS A WITCH
Author:  No Clever Moniker [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
The kind of narrow and thus near-perfect topic that they like to ride into the ground over an extended period of time. Except that the author is local, so that means there might be someone calling in who agrees with the author or worse, will force the topic to become narrower.

It has been hypothesized that exposure to repetitive head trauma from contact sports over a long-playing career may eventuate in an increased risk of late-life cognitive impairment. There are currently two competing hypotheses about the possible mechanism underlying such impairment. One is the presence of a unique neurodegenerative disorder known as “chronic traumatic encephalopathy” (CTE). The other is diminished cerebral reserve leading to the earlier clinical expression of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study examined informant AD8 inventory data in a sample of 513 retired National Football League (NFL) players. These data were indicative of possible cognitive impairment in 35.1% of this relatively young sample. A comparison of neurocognitive profiles in a subsample of this group to a clinical sample of patients with a diagnosis of MCI due to AD revealed a highly similar profile of impairments. Overall, the data suggest that there may be an increased prevalence of late-life cognitive impairment in retired NFL players, which may reflect diminished cerebral reserve. The findings are considered preliminary, but emphasize the need for larger, controlled studies on this issue. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–8)

Abstract from Prevalence and Characterization of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Retired National Football League Players as published in the Journal of International Neuropsychological Society
Author:  pittmike [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
Prepare for yelling but Bernsie will be conflicted. After all this guy is a DOCTOR. I predict the words "follow the money" meaning this guy is connected to the NFL somehow.
Author:  rogers park bryan [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
The test results of the two groups were very similar, leading Randolph to conclude that the brain problems plaguing some ex-NFL players is the same kind of cognitive trouble suffered by many older people.


Im not a Scientist but Im having trouble with this. So NFL players who get multiple concussions are equal to normal people? I dont think so
Author:  bigfan [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
It will be mentioned, only so he can say "We talked about it".
Author:  good dolphin [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
pittmike wrote:
Prepare for yelling but Bernsie will be conflicted. After all this guy is a DOCTOR. I predict the words "follow the money" meaning this guy is connected to the NFL somehow.


but he is a doctor at a Catholic university hospital so the work can be discounted entirely
Author:  SomeGuy [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
rogers park bryan wrote:
The test results of the two groups were very similar, leading Randolph to conclude that the brain problems plaguing some ex-NFL players is the same kind of cognitive trouble suffered by many older people.


Im not a Scientist but Im having trouble with this. So NFL players who get multiple concussions are equal to normal people? I dont think so




NFL players that get concussions have the same cognitive degeneration that older people suffer from.
Author:  bigfan [ Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Study casts new doubts on football links with CTE
good dolphin wrote:
pittmike wrote:
Prepare for yelling but Bernsie will be conflicted. After all this guy is a DOCTOR. I predict the words "follow the money" meaning this guy is connected to the NFL somehow.


but he is a doctor at a Catholic university hospital so the work can be discounted entirely


Correct!

Need to work on a Anti diddling med first
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