Christopher John Nowinski is an American neuroscientist and author. Co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, and co-founder of the Boston University CTE Center, he is also a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Harry Donald Carson is a former American football middle linebacker who played his entire professional career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). Carson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Leonard Allen Marshall Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Selected 37th overall in the 1983 NFL Draft, he spent the first ten seasons of his career with the New York Giants where he accumulated 79.5 sacks, ranking him third in team history. He was twice selected to the Pro Bowl and twice named NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year following the 1985 and 1986 seasons. He won two championships with the Giants, recording three sacks in the two Super Bowl games which he played in. Marshall is most famously known for his 1991 hit on Joe Montana that knocked him out of the NFC championship game, after which Montana would not play another regular season game for almost two years. After his time with the Giants, Marshall went on to play a season each for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins before retiring from football at the age of 33. Marshall played college football at Louisiana State University.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia. It is unclear if the risk of suicide is altered.
High school football is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining. According to The Washington Post, between 2009 and 2019, participation in high school football has declined by 9%.
Andre Maurice Waters was an American football safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's dirtiest players, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses. On November 20, 2006, Waters committed suicide and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Paul Kevin Turner was a professional American football fullback. He played eight seasons in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Turner died after a multi-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which had been triggered by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Ray Easterling was an American football safety in the National Football League. He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1972 and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the ninth round of the 1972 NFL Draft.
American Youth Football (AYF), established in 1996, is an international organization that promotes the development of youth through their association with adult leaders in American football. Rules and regulations ensure players are in a safe environment with a competitive balance between teams. The National Football League (NFL) has made AYF a national youth football partner. The President of American Youth Football is Joe Galat.
Jeffrey Hugh Staggs was an American college and professional football player who played for the San Diego State Aztecs and San Diego Chargers.
Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a Nigerian-American physician, forensic pathologist and neuropathologist who was the first to discover and publish findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County coroner's office in Pittsburgh. He later became the chief medical examiner for San Joaquin County, California, and is a professor at the University of California, Davis, department of medical pathology and laboratory medicine. He is currently the President and Medical Director of Bennet Omalu Pathology.
Concussions and play-related head blows in American football have been shown to be the cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has led to player deaths and other debilitating symptoms after retirement, including memory loss, depression, anxiety, headaches, stress, and sleep disturbances.
Concussions, a type of mild traumatic brain injury, are a frequent concern for those playing sports, from children and teenagers to professional athletes. Repeated concussions are a known cause of various neurological disorders, most notably chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which in professional athletes has led to premature retirement, erratic behavior and even suicide. A sports-related concussion is currently defined as a "complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by biomechanical forces". Because concussions cannot be seen on X-rays or CT scans, attempts to prevent concussions have been difficult.
League of Denial is a 2013 book, initially broadcast as a documentary film, about traumatic brain injury in the National Football League (NFL), particularly concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The documentary, entitled League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis, was produced by Frontline and broadcast on PBS. The book was written by ESPN reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. The book and film devote significant attention to the story of Mike Webster and his football-related brain injuries, and the pathologist who examined Webster's brain, Bennet Omalu. The film also looks closely at the efforts of researchers led by Ann McKee at Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, where the brains of a number of former NFL athletes have been examined.
Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players.
The Boston University CTE Center is an independently run medical research lab located at the Boston University School of Medicine. The Center focuses on research related to the long-term effects of brain trauma and degenerative brain diseases, specializing in the diagnosis and analysis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to researchers at Boston University, CTE is a brain disease involving progressive neurological deterioration common in athletes, military personnel, and others who have a history of brain trauma. The disease is primarily caused by repeated blows to the head, some of which result in concussions or sub-concussive symptoms.
Most documented cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy have occurred in athletes involved in contact sports such as boxing, American football, wrestling, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, rugby and soccer. Other risk factors include being in the military, prior domestic violence, and repeated banging of the head. The exact amount of trauma required for the condition to occur is unknown. Below is a list of notable cases of CTE in sports.
The Australian Sports Brain Bank is a medical research laboratory, a part of the neuropathology department of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney.
Daniel H. Daneshvar is an American neuroscientist, brain injury physician, and physiatrist. He is known for his academic work in traumatic brain injury and the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy. He also founded Team Up Against Concussions, the first scientifically validated concussion education program for children. He is the Director of the Institute for Brain Research and Innovation at TeachAids, which created CrashCourse, a virtual-reality or video based concussion education program.
