Frequent Brain Concussion Can Lead To Suicide

Frequent Brain Concussion Can Lead To Suicide.
When ci-devant National Football League big name linebacker Junior Seau killed himself last year, he had a catastrophic mastermind disorder probably brought on by repeated hits to the head, the US National Institutes of Health has concluded. The NIH scientists who conscious Seau's brain constant that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). They told the Associated Press on Thursday that the cellular changes they dictum were similar to those found in autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries".

The fight - characterized by impulsivity, depression and erratic behavior - is only diagnosed after death. Seau, 43, who played pro football for 20 seasons before his retirement in 2009, discharge himself in the strongbox last May 2012. His family donated his brain for research.

Some experts shadowy - but can't prove - that CTE led to Seau's suicide. "Chronic painful encephalopathy is the thing we have typically seen in a lot of the athletes," said Dr Howard Derman, commandant at the Methodist Concussion Center in Houston. "Rather than say 'this caused this,' I dream the observation is that there have been multiple pro football players now who have committed suicide: Dave Duerson, Andre Waters, John Grimsley - although Grimsley was just reported as a gun accident".

Some say that these players became depressed once they were out of the limelight or because of marital or economic difficulties, but Derman thinks the evidence goes beyond that."Yes, all that may be accepted on - but it still remains that the majority of these players who have committed suicide do have changes of chronic disturbing encephalopathy. We feel that that is also playing a role in their mental state".

But, Derman cautioned, "I can't for instance that chronic traumatic encephalopathy causes players to commit suicide". Chronic harmful encephalopathy was first noticed in boxers who suffered blows to the head over many years. In late years, concerns about CTE have led high school and college programs to circumscribe hits to the head, and the National Football League prohibits helmet-to-helmet hits.

About 4000 latest NFL players filed a class-action lawsuit last year claiming the league failed to tend players from traumatic brain injuries or warn them about the dangers of concussions. The NFL has said that it never intentionally hid the dangers of concussion from players, and that it is now doing the whole kit and caboodle it can to protect players against concussions. The society has given a $30 million research grant to the National Institutes of Health for that purpose.

So "I was not surprised after culture a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's son, Tyler, 23, told the AP. "He did entertainment so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry that I didn't do something more and have the awareness to aid him more, and now it is too late".

Seau's son said the family was insensible of the side effects associated with head injuries. "We didn't know his behavior was from forefront trauma". Seau's ex-wife, Gina Seau, told ABC News that although her ex-husband was never formally diagnosed with a concussion, he often complained of symptoms that are cognate to one. Those symptoms included frame of mind swings, irrational behavior, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.

Dr Russell Lonser, who led the cramming on Seau's brain, told the AP that the brain was independently evaluated in a "blind" fashion, content it was one of three unidentified brains. "We had the opportunity to get multiple experts involved in a way that they wouldn't be able to soon identify his tissue even if they knew he was one of the individuals studied".

Last month, Boston University School of Medicine researchers reported in the annual Brain that people with CTE experience four definitive phases, beginning with memory disruption and thinking problems and ending with aggression. The Boston researchers said the make ready had been diagnosed in 34 former professional players and nine former college football players hgh plus pill. Seau, who was divorced, played with New England, San Diego and Miami during his NFL career.