CTE Impacts Amateur Athletes Beyond Football Players

The dangers of concussions and more severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in Poway have been linked to contact sports for a number of years now, but the conversations about sports-related concussions have largely centered around football. Studies have shown, however, that many other contact sports lead to concussions, including soccer, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, and hockey. A recent study reported by BBC News underscores that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain condition that has been diagnosed in a wide range of deceased NFL players, is also prevalent in athletes who play other types of contract sports, including soccer and rugby.

The new study underscores the need to take preventive measures concerning sports and concussions and to consider liability when an athlete does suffer a TBI on the field or is later confirmed to have CTE as a result of multiple sports-related concussions. Our Poway personal injury lawyers can say more.

Nearly All Sports Can Result in Concussions and CTE

The key takeaway from the recent report from BBC News is that nearly all sports — and not just football — can result in sports-related concussions and, years down the road, CTE. Indeed, the report discusses a new study out of the University of Glasgow that looked at the donated brains of rugby and soccer players to determine that nearly 68 percent showed signs of CTE. As the report clarifies, CTE “is a brain condition thought to be caused by repeated head injuries and blows to the head,” and it is a condition that “slowly gets worse over time and leads to dementia.

With each year of play, the study suggests, an athlete’s risk of developing CTE increases by 14%. What is particularly notable about the study is that it involved the brains of more than just professional athletes. In fact, almost 75% of the brains studied were those of amateur or club athletes. To put that information another way, the study suggests that even the recreational playing of contact sports can, over time, lead to serious brain trauma that can ultimately result in CTE.

Preventing CTE in Amateur and Professional Athletes

The study underscores a serious need not only to consider the risks of CTE for athletes beyond football players but also to focus on the risks that amateur athletes experience while playing. Youth athletes, including high school and college athletes, could be at increased risk of CTE while playing contact sports in school and continuing to play at a recreational level in adulthood, the study intimates.

The authors of the study recommend looking into new ways to prevent the type of trauma that causes concussions in contact sports. As the lead author of the study explained, it is “the shaking and twisting and rotating of the head thousands of times over decades that’s likely to cause deep damage in the brain.” Accordingly, as BBC News reports, there is a need to look to more preventive devices than just helmets. One possible preventive measure, the report indicates, is “smart mouthguards, which can measure head movements” and improve the overall management of concussions in athletes.

Contact a Poway Personal Injury Lawyer

Were you concussed while playing contact sports, or has your child sustained multiple concussions on the field? The BBC News report underscores that a group of rugby players have recently initiated a lawsuit concerning concussions and brain safety. You may be able to file a claim if you experienced a sports-related brain injury, and an experienced Poway injury attorney can assess your case for you today. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

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