- Playing contact sports is linked to the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder often caused by repeated head injuries.
- A new study found that athletes who developed CTE from playing contact sports have a high risk of Parkinsonism, a movement disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease.
- Some people with Parkinsonism may develop Parkinson’s disease later in life.
There is a strong link between playing contact sports and developing a movement disorder known as Parkinsonism, according to a large new study.
The link is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which results from repeated impacts to the head and concussions.
Parkinsonism is a term for a movement disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms include balance issues, stiffness in the arms or legs, and slow movement.
The researchers observed that the brains of people who had Parkinsonism were more likely to contain Lewy bodies in the Substantia nigraTrusted Source — an area of the brain involved in the control of movement — neurofibrillary tangles, a loss of neurons, and an earlier death. These are findings that are also found in Alzheimer’s diseaseTrusted Source and dementia.
The findings suggest that for every eight years of participating in contact sports, there is a 50% increase in the risk of further damage to the area of the brain controlling movement.
The researchers examined the brains, post-mortem, of 481 donors. Of these, 119 individuals had Parkinsonism. Those with more severe CTE were the most likely to develop Parkinsonism. In the study, 24.7% of people who had CTE also had Parkinsonism.
The study is published in JAMA NeurologyTrusted Source.
While Parkinson’s disease is considered a type of Parkinsonism, it is not the only kind.
Dementia with lewy bodies (DLB), Multiple system atrophy (MSA), Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) are all forms of Parkinsonism.
“Parkinsonism is typically progressive over many years and will often, though not always, develop into full-blown Parkinson’s disease,” corresponding study author Thor D. Stein, MD, PhD, associate professor of Pathology and Medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine in Boston, MA, told Medical News Today.
Daniel Truong, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, not involved in the study, further explained the pathology of Parkinsonism.
“The rate of progression can vary significantly between individuals,” Truong told MNT. “Symptoms typically start subtly and gradually become more severe.”
Early indications may include slight tremors, stiffness, and slowed movements that can become more pronounced as years pass. These symptoms may eventually result in significant difficulties with movement and coordination.
“The progression can span over a decade or more, and advanced stages often involve severe mobility issues and cognitive decline,” Truong said.
Stein explained how CTE develops. “As the brain moves inside the skull after a head impact, nerve fibers in the brainstem are likely stretched and damaged,” he said.
“Repeated head impacts may cause this damage to build up and result in CTE pathology within the brainstem,” Stein added.
CTE-producing injuries, said Truong, “often occur in sports such as American football, boxing, soccer, ice hockey, and rugby, where athletes frequently experience concussive and subconcussive blows to the head.”
CTE diagnosis can be challenging since no single test exists for the condition.
Study co-author Chris Nowinski, PhD, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, told MNT the only way to diagnose CTE is through an examination of the brain after death.
“Right now, we cannot calculate any athlete’s absolute risk due to the limitations of CTE being a post-mortem diagnosis,” Nowinski said. However, he noted, “at Boston University, more cases of CTE have been diagnosed among American football players than all other sports combined.”
“After football, CTE has been most frequently diagnosed among athletes who were boxers or played ice hockey, soccer, and rugby,” Nowinski said.
People who sustain concussions while serving in the military may also develop CTE.
“The cumulative effect of these repeated head impacts, rather than isolated incidents, significantly increases the risk of developing CTE,” Truong said.
“Some researchTrusted Source suggests that the highest magnitude head acceleration events drive CTE risk far more than repetitive smaller impacts. A single head impact of 100 Gs [gravity units] likely contributes far more than 100 Gs spread out over five impacts. A recent studyTrusted Source by our team — as well as laboratory models — suggests that rotational acceleration contributes more to CTE risk than linear acceleration, and cumulative load correlates with CTE outcomes.”
— Chris Nowinski, PhD, study co-author
Truong explained that CTE is often characterized by cognitive decline and neurobehavioral dysregulation. Here are a few warning signs of CTE to look out for:
- Cognitive impairment — may manifest as memory problems, executive dysfunction, and difficulty with concentration and attention.
- Mood and behavioral changes — i.e., increased aggression, depression, anxiety, and impulsivity.
- Early signs of motor dysfunction — subtle changes in gait or balance and fine motor skill control.
- Issues with sleep — probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (pRBD)Trusted Source may be present.
“We encourage anyone with [CTE] symptoms to be seen by an expert,” Nowinski said.
I have been surfing online more than 3 hours today yet I never found any interesting article like yours It is pretty worth enough for me In my opinion if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did the web will be much more useful than ever before
Its like you read my mind You appear to know so much about this like you wrote the book in it or something I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit but other than that this is fantastic blog A great read Ill certainly be back
What i dont understood is in reality how youre now not really a lot more smartlyfavored than you might be now Youre very intelligent You understand therefore significantly in terms of this topic produced me personally believe it from a lot of numerous angles Its like women and men are not interested except it is one thing to accomplish with Woman gaga Your own stuffs outstanding Always care for it up
Your blog is a testament to your dedication to your craft. Your commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of your writing. Thank you for being such a positive influence in the online community.
Your blog is a true hidden gem on the internet. Your thoughtful analysis and in-depth commentary set you apart from the crowd. Keep up the excellent work!
Usually I do not read article on blogs however I would like to say that this writeup very compelled me to take a look at and do so Your writing taste has been amazed me Thanks quite nice post
BaddieHub I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.
Tech to Trick For the reason that the admin of this site is working, no uncertainty very quickly it will be renowned, due to its quality contents.