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Study finds link between blows to head, brain damage

A new study has uncovered substantial evidence of a link between repeated blows to the head and long-term brain damage.

A report on WBUR out of Boston says Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy conducted the study, in which researchers examined the brains of 85 football players, boxers and military veterans.

The report says a total of 68 subjects, amounting to 80 percent, showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy — a degenerative brain disorder linked to memory loss, depression and dementia.

The report quotes study co-author Dr. Robert Cantu as saying: “Sixty-eight cases more than doubles all the other cases in the world’s literature to date. So the sheer volume of it should put to rest any doubt about the entity.”

A report on the study in Canadian paper Globe and Mail says CTE initially begins with damaged neurons in one area of the brain. Symptoms at that stage typically include headaches or problems concentrating.

Patients with Stage 2 CTE may suffer depression or short-term memory impairment. In Stage 3, subjects may have difficulty with multi-tasking, planning and judgment. Stage 4 is characterized by full-blown dementia.

If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic brain injury, check with Lopez McHugh for a free consultation to see what your legal options are.

See the WBUR story here:

https://www.wbur.org/2012/12/03/cte-study

See the Globe and Mail story here:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/study-finds-violence-in-games-puts-athletes-brain-health-at-risk/article5904331/