What Is CTE? Brain Disease Found In 110 Former NFL Players

The connection between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and football just got stronger. Out of 111 brains of former National Football League Players, all except one were found to have CTE, a degenerative disease linked to traumatic brain injuries, according to a recent study.

Researchers studied 202 donated brains of deceased football players, since CTE can only be diagnosed after death. The study, which is the largest CTE case series, said 87 percent of the brains (177) were diagnosed with CTE. Among the brains that were found to have the disease were individuals who played in high school, college and professional football. The brains are from football players of every position on the field, including quarterbacks and running backs.

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Researchers found high school players had mild cases of CTE, while college and professional players had severe pathology. Among the football players, researchers found cognitive symptoms and behavioral and/or dementia symptoms.

“Nearly all of the former NFL players in this study had CTE pathology, and this pathology was frequently severe,” the study said. “These findings suggest that CTE may be related to prior participation in football and that a high level of play may be related to substantial disease burden.”

Pathologists analyzed the brains for CTE without knowing any background information, like symptoms or patient history, while clinicians used medical records and interviewed family members for information on the individual. The pathologists and clinicians then got together to evaluate their findings.

Researchers said future studies are needed to see the correlation between age and CTE, as well as other unanswered questions. The study was published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Jessica Zwerling, Associate Director of the Center for the Aging Brain at Montefiore, said the study "underscores the need to further pursue biomarker imaging of this disease."

"It further emphasizes the need for long-term follow-up and comprehensive evaluation of competitive athletes,” she added.

What is CTE?

CTE is a progressive degenerative brain disease found in athletes or people with a history of repetitive brain trauma, according to Boston University. The disease is linked to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, aggression, depression and progressive dementia. The symptoms can arise years after the injuries have taken place.

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Football has been previously linked to CTE. In a study a few years ago, researchers found CTE in participants who had played sports, including football, as well as military veterans.

Back in 2016, the NFL admitted there was a link between CTE and players when asked about research done by Boston University neuropathologist Dr. Anne McKee, who also led the recent study involving the 111 brains of former football players.

The NFL’s executive vice president for health and safety, Jeff Miller, was asked whether there a connection between CTE and football.

“Well certainly Dr. McKee’s research shows that a number of retired NFL players were diagnosed with CTE, so the answer to that question is certainly yes,” said Miller, “but there’s also a number of questions that come with that.”

The correlation between CTE and football was discovered by Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist. He was the main character in the 2015 film “Concussion,” played by actor Will Smith.