- Playing contact sports has been linked to the development of chronic traumatic brain injury (CTE), a brain disorder often caused by repeated head injuries.
- A new study has found that athletes who developed CTE from playing contact sports have a higher 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 the movement disorder known as Parkinsonism, according to a major new study.
Concussion is a chronic traumatic brain injury, or CTE, caused by repeated impacts to the head and concussions.
Parkinsonism is the term for a movement disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms include balance problems, stiffness in the arms or legs, and slow walking.
Researchers found that the brains of people who had Parkinsonism were more likely to have Lewy bodies.
Studies suggest that every eight years of participation in contact sports, there is a 50% increase in the risk of further damage to the area of the brain’s control system.
The researchers examined the brains, post-mortem, of 481 donors. Of them, 119 people had Parkinsonism. Those with more severe CTE are more likely to develop Parkinsonism. In the study, 24.7% of people with CTE also had Parkinsonism.
The study was published by
Although Parkinson’s disease is considered a type of Parkinsonism, it is not the only type.
Dementia with lewy bodies (DLB), Multiple system atrophy (MSA), Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) are all forms of Parkinsonism.
“Parkinsonism tends to progress over many years and often, though not always, will progress to full-blown Parkinson’s disease,” study co-author Thor D. Stein, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Pathology and Medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School. of Medicine in Boston, MA, said Medical News Today.
Daniel Truong, MD, a neurologist and medical director of the Truong Neuroscience Institute at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, who was not involved in the study, further explained Parkinsonism.
“The rate of development can vary greatly between individuals,” Truong said MNT. “Symptoms often start out subtle and gradually become more severe.”
Early symptoms may include mild tremors, stiffness and slow movements that may become more noticeable with age. These symptoms can eventually cause major problems with movement and coordination.
“Progression can take a decade or more, and advanced stages often include severe movement disorders and cognitive decline,” Truong said.
Stein explained how CTE progresses. “As the brain moves through the skull after the head is formed, the nerves in the brain can become stretched and damaged,” he said.
“Repeated head impacts can cause this damage to build up and result in CTE within the brain,” Stein added.
Injuries caused by CTE, Truong said, “often occur in sports such as American football, boxing, soccer, ice hockey and rugby, where athletes often experience blunt force trauma to the head. “
Diagnosing CTE can be challenging since no single test exists for the condition.
Co-author Chris Nowinski, PhD, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, said MNT the only way to diagnose CTE is by examining the brain after death.
“Right now, we can’t calculate the total risk of an athlete because of the limitations of CTE being a postmortem diagnosis,” Nowinski said. However, he noted, “At Boston University, more cases of CTE have been found among American football players than all other sports combined.”
“After football, CTE has been found most often among athletes who were boxers or played ice hockey, soccer and rugby,” Nowinski said.
People who sustain conflict while serving in the military can also develop CTE.
Truong said: “The increased exposure to these repeated impacts to the head, as opposed to isolated events, greatly increases the risk of developing CTE.”
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Further research suggests that the highest incidences of head acceleration drive the risk of CTE more than the least repetitive impacts. A single head impact of 100 Gs [gravity units] it probably contributes more than 100 Gs spread over five effects. It just passedstudy by our group – as well as laboratory models – suggest that rotational acceleration contributes more to the risk of CTE than uniform acceleration, and more weight is related to the effects of CTE . “– 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:
- Mental impairment – can manifest as memory problems, poor performance, and difficulty concentrating and paying attention.
- Changes in mood and behavior – that is, increased aggression, depression, anxiety, and impulsivity.
- Early signs of electrical failure – subtle changes in gait or balance and better control of motor skills.
- Sleep issues –
rapid eye movement disorder (pRBD) it can be there.
“We encourage anyone who has [CTE] symptoms will be seen by a professional,” Nowinski said.
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