Study says 87 of 91 brains of deceased NFL players had damage

Study says 87 of 91 brains of deceased NFL players had damage

Researchers studying a degenerative disease in former athletes say 11 of 12 brains of deceased former NFL players tested over the past year showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, continuing a trend they’ve been tracking.

A story posted on PBS.org on Friday reported that a total of 87 of the 91 brains of former NFL players examined in recent years by researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have had CTE.

According to PBS, many players whose brains were donated for research suspected they had CTE, which therefore skews the population of brains being examined.

Linked to repeated brain trauma, CTE is associated with symptoms such as memory loss, impaired judgment, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia.

Smith says the players prefer playing on natural grass but that “it’s our responsibility, both at the club level as well as the league level, to protect players from unnecessary risk.”