Concussion & CTE: Why Awareness Matters

Concussion in sport ⁤continues to ⁢make headlines, whether it be class actions, young men flocking to the highly⁢ violent‍ “RunIt” activity or debate⁣ about whether Australian rules football should remove the “bump” once and for all.

Bringing ⁢this⁢ weighty issue to greater‍ prominence are the former athletes who bravely share their long-term health struggles ⁣after careers in sport-cognitive impairments, mental health⁤ issues or concerns ⁤about neurodegenerative disease, specifically chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Yet⁣ for all the‍ progress made by many sports in recent years, it feels‍ like we still have not fully grasped the understanding of CTE-or maybe we don’t want to.

Remind me again, what is CTE?

CTE is ⁣a neurodegenerative brain disease just like dementia, motor ⁢neuron disease (MND) and ⁣Parkinson’s disease.

Expert groups agree on the links between traumatic brain injury and increased risk of Alzheimer’s⁣ disease (and othre dementias), and the⁣ growing evidence of links to MND and Parkinson’s.

People who have never‍ had ‍a traumatic brain injury can still regrettably suffer from ⁢these diseases.⁣ Though, while CTE is rare in the general population, those with a history‍ of repetitive impacts⁢ to the brain are⁢ more at risk.

These impacts may not be diagnosed ⁣as brain injuries or concussions, but rather non-concussive impacts (smaller hits that do not produce signs or symptoms of concussion).

Contrary to anecdotal opinion, ⁤an athlete’s concussion history is not the crucial variable in⁢ the risk and severity of CTE.

Emerging international evidence shows the risk of developing CTE (and its severity) is linked to exposure: the age a person starts full contact sport and the length of a playing career.

The grey area of concussion, ‍CTE and mental health

currently, CTE cannot be ⁣diagnosed in‍ living⁣ people.

Though, in understanding the progression of the disease⁣ in those who have passed away with CTE, families have described signs and symptoms including‍ cognitive impairments such as:

• Parkinsonism
• memory loss
• trouble with planning and ⁢organizing tasks
• impulsive behaviors
• anger and irritability
• emotional instability
• substance misuse
• suicidal thoughts/behavior.

While ⁤these signs and symptoms can overlap ‍with those we associate with ⁢mental health, this does not necessarily mean the affected person had “mental health⁢ concerns.”

The continued awareness of men’s mental health is a good thing broadly, but it has sometimes misappropriated CTE as a mental health issue. For example,some fundraising games in the ⁣names of athletes who have died with CTE are being ⁣channeled to mental health charities and institutes confusing the wider community.

Consequently, ⁣two recent tragic stories, one from ⁤the family of deceased former AFL player Shane Tuck and the ⁤other from amanda Green,‍ the widow of the late NRL player and coach Paul ⁤Green, needed to be⁤ told.

Their⁢ stories ⁢contradicted widely held beliefs in the media⁢ and among fans that Tuck or Green were suffering with a psychiatric disease prior to their untimely⁣ deaths. Actually, they had CTE.

An uncomfortable conversation

So, ‍why aren’t⁣ we talking about CTE more?

The answer is, sadly, it is indeed an inconvenient truth.

Considering ‍CTE is entirely ⁢preventable⁢ if ⁤we remove the exposure risk of repetitive hits to the head, the solution is to further modify many ⁢of our most ⁢popular sports to