Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a disease that affects the brain and makes it incapable of performing its functions usually. This issue is progressive, meaning it grows over time and becomes more severe if left unaddressed. This condition primarily affects brain neurons, causing them to die, failing to function, or losing their structure. Motor dysfunction, behavioral changes, and mood disturbances are some of the most common clinical symptoms of this disease. A person's behavior may change, and they may become more aggressive toward others (Safinia et al. 2). Suicidality or depression may occur when a person's mood is disrupted.
The link between sports and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Sports increase the risk of a person suffering from a head injury, increasing their chances of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Previously, researchers have linked this condition to sport-related activities, mostly boxing. However, current researchers have linked this condition to other sports activities such as athletics (Maroon et al., 2). This condition is linked to sports activities that subject the sportsperson to head injury or any impact to the head. Studies suggest that this situation is common to military personnel, and other sports person, other than boxers. Researchers have found out that most athletes who suffer both sub-concussive and concussive head impacts ended up suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Dramatic increase in cases
There has been a dramatic increase in the cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among former athletes and sportsperson (Gardner et al., 1). However, there is a need to conduct more research to have a better understanding of this disease. The autopsy results of Aaron Hernandez showed that he was suffering from this health condition but showed no sign of suffering from the same. He was convicted of murder but committed suicide in his cell. His violent and aggressive behavior and the results of the medical examination of his brain showed that he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy level 3 or 4. He must have suffered a brain injury during his career as a footballer.
Work Cited
Gardner, A., Iverson, G. L., & McCrory, P. (2013). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in sport: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med, bjsports-2013.
Maroon, Joseph C., et al. “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Contact Sports: A Systematic Review of All Reported Pathological Cases.” PLoS ONE, Public Library of Science, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324991/.
Safinia, Cyrus, et al. “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Athletes Involved with High-Impact Sports.” Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology, Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, Oct. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5094259/.
