CTE found in Hilinski Suicide

[huskymedic]

 

[MattMang23]

Stuff is wild. It’s present in amateur athletes as well, which was previously not believed. My good friend was a hockey player who committed suicide and had his brain donated, he had CTE. He never even played college hockey.

I'm sorry about your friend. That's scary. I believe youth hockey is more dangerous than we know. I also played growing up until college and, ever since CTE was identified, I've always wondered what the long-term consequences might be. Being about 105 lbs as a freshman in high school I used to get trucked multiple times every single day in practice and then again in games going against 200 lb seniors. I can't tell you the number of times my head bounced off the ice and I have no recollection of it, only blacking back in to get up and shake it off. I am certain I have short-term memory issues. I will think about something, get up from my desk at work and then forget what it is I'm going to do. And it's not once in a while. It's a few times a day. Other times I'll get absurdly angry for no significant reason. Hearing this scares me.

 

[huskypantz]

I'm sorry about your friend. That's scary. I believe youth hockey is more dangerous than we know. I also played growing up until college and, ever since CTE was identified, I've always wondered what the long-term consequences might be. Being about 105 lbs as a freshman in high school I used to get trucked multiple times every single day in practice and then again in games going against 200 lb seniors. I can't tell you the number of times my head bounced off the ice and I have no recollection of it, only blacking back in to get up and shake it off. I am certain I have short-term memory issues. I will think about something, get up from my desk at work and then forget what it is I'm going to do. And it's not once in a while. It's a few times a day. Other times I'll get absurdly angry for no significant reason. Hearing this scares me.

I'm with you. Played football in HS only. Had multiple concussions - 2 that I'm definitely aware of. Also had one in wrestling - self -inflicted, had my head on the wrong side when I lifted and dumped a kid. I was chastised by my assistant coach for going to the nurse to ask for aspirin because I had a headache (actually it was a concussion). Nurse sent me to my doctor and I missed a couple of practices. I have some similar symptoms with memory. So you don't feel totally terrible, just note that your "forget what you were just doing" symptom is likely common and scientifically explained....kind of.

Why You Forgot What You Were Just Doing

 

[MattMang23]

I'm with you. Played football in HS only. Had multiple concussions - 2 that I'm definitely aware of. Also had one in wrestling - self -inflicted, had my head on the wrong side when I lifted and dumped a kid. I was chastised by my assistant coach for going to the nurse to ask for aspirin because I had a headache (actually it was a concussion). Nurse sent me to my doctor and I missed a couple of practices. I have some similar symptoms with memory. So you don't feel totally terrible, just note that your "forget what you were just doing" symptom is likely common and scientifically explained....kind of.

Why You Forgot What You Were Just Doing

Thanks for the link. So you know the fun feelings concussions bring. Yeah, I'm sure some of my symptoms aren't actually caused by CTE but I just wouldn't be shocked if I have it in some amount. If I had to guess on the number of concussions I've had, even considering mild ones, it's probably somewhere between 8-12. I've been stretchered off the ice before when I was 12 or 13 when some jackarse hit me from behind and knocked my head directly into the boards. The only reason the concussion was diagnosed was because they thought I broke my neck at first because I wasn't moving, hence the stretcher. Turns out I was just TKO on the ice. If I had been able to get up like with the others, who knows. That was probably one of the first ones. Afterward, I was cleared by a doctor in a week. This was 20 years ago. Nowadays the kid would be out the rest of the season. I just kind of live life in a little haze. I've gotten used to it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

MMA exists. So I suppose they will keep taking half measures to make things more ‘safe’ which will only be marginally effective.

You’ll probably see the participant pool contract some. Smaller high schools will end up with co-ops, smaller colleges will start to drop the sport.

How does the NESCAC offering football align - we have these really smart kids - let’s go injure their brains for no ROI?

How does a broke CCSU sponsor brain injuries at such a high monetary cost? Bates versus Mass Maritime? Other than tradition what’s the point.

I wouldn’t expect the level of play at the D1/NFL level to change much for at least a few decades.

Disagree. This is how I see it playing out. Participation in youth football is going to continue to decline everywhere but maybe the South and a few midwestern states. Within 10 years high schools in Connecticut will start dropping the sport because of CTE. It will start with an affluent town like New Canaan or Westport, and then the dominoes will fall rapidly.

Smaller colleges are going to drop the sport because there won't be enough players, At some point participation will hit a tipping point and it will be impossible to field competitive teams. Participation will also impact fan interest in the pros. People are more likely to be interested in the NFL if there is a vibrant youth and high school football program in their community.

Softer helmets will not solve anything, because they have a tendency to stick, which will lead to more neck injuries. There is no way to make a collision sport less collisiony. Football is dying.

 

[huskymedic]

New study reports a higher concussion rate for girls sport than football

>>A new study, led by a professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, has found that the concussion obsession that has surrounded football for the past decade or so may soon have some company from other sports, and some of those sports may surprise you.

According to the study that was presented at an annual conference for orthopedic surgeons, girl’s soccer has the highest per capita rate of concussion among high school sports, and they hold the spot by a pretty significant amount.<<

 

[UCPusky]

Disagree. This is how I see it playing out. Participation in youth football is going to continue to decline everywhere but maybe the South and a few midwestern states. Within 10 years high schools in Connecticut will start dropping the sport because of CTE. It will start with an affluent town like New Canaan or Westport, and then the dominoes will fall rapidly.

Even the south is experiencing a decline in youth football participation. Two biggest factors are the concussion problem and increased variety of sports to choose from.
The Friday night lights dim on high school football — even in Texas

 

[whaler11]

Even the south is experiencing a decline in youth football participation. Two biggest factors are the concussion problem and increased variety of sports to choose from.
The Friday night lights dim on high school football — even in Texas

That article screams UConn should drop football. Yikes.

 

[UConnNick]

Makes you think about every time you ever got your bell rung playing. Scary stuff. Like Shaky, you have to wonder if football can survive this issue.

Boxers have been getting killed in the ring or permanently handicapped for many decades, but the sport goes on.

 

[BlueDogs]

Could this be part of the answer? Orange, squishy body armor material could save lives . . .

"It’s bright orange, it’s squishy, it stretches like taffy — and it is unlike any body armor you’ve ever seen. If you were attacked with a baseball bat and you were wearing this bright orange goop under your clothes, then your attacker might as well have swung a toothpick at you — the goop will take the hit for you and absorb the strike."

"This orange goo is so powerful it only requires a thin layer to deliver incredible protection."

"Partnerships, like the D3O liner integration into Schutt’s sports helmets, have helped to make access to this remarkable innovation more available to civilians. Now, football, lacrosse and baseball players can benefit from this advanced trauma protection too."

This orange, squishy body armor material could save lives

Similar to oobleck... behaves liquid but turns hard when pressure is applied.

 

[Rocktheworld]

That article screams UConn should drop football. Yikes.

SuzieLax plays the long game

 

[Rocktheworld]

Similar to oobleck... behaves liquid but turns hard when pressure is applied.

As I said earlier, useless for preventing football concussions

 

[BlueDogs]

They don’t have a clue about CTE yet. There is some loose correlation between CTE and suicide and depression. Hundreds of thousands play the game with no apparent adverse effect.

I suspect some are genetically predisposed to CTE and it’s effects, while the vast majority are not. The mechanism and effects of CTE are remarkably similar to other neurodegenerative diseases which involve antibodies crossing the blood brain barrier and attacking brain structures..

What is really going on is much more opportunistic and insidious ... think like an iconoclast...

what sport most symbolizes American cultural aggression...

does anyone remember the faux studies correlating football games with domestic abuse?

...Redskins

...,no televised anthem

 

[Rocktheworld]

I suspect some are genetically predisposed to CTE and it’s effects, while the vast majority are not. The mechanism and effects of CTE are remarkably similar to other neurodegenerative diseases which involve antibodies crossing the blood brain barrier and attacking brain structures..

Can you name some, or provide more information? I'm no expert but have some clinically-based graduate-level understanding of neurodegenerative conditions and am not aware of any that implicate antibodies crossing the barrier.