NFL Players’ Union Funds Brain Damage Study
The union that represents players in the National Football League (NFL) recently provided a $100 million grant to Harvard University, according to a news article by Reuters. The grant is earmarked for the study of brain damage, heart conditions, and other medical conditions that affect current and former football players.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School plan to use the grant to study former and current players. Their goal is to understand and to limit the long-term damage that football players suffer after years of taking hits on the field. Researchers have recently found that even mild blows to the head, built up over the years, can cause life threatening injuries or permanent disability.
Professional football players are particularly susceptible to a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can cause dementia and mood disorders. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is highly likely in patients who suffer several small concussions or other traumatic brain injuries over several years, as NFL players frequently do.
Research funded by the grant to Harvard is expected to benefit not only professional football players, but also those who play the sport in middle school, high school, or college. It may also provide insight into treatment and prevention of traumatic brain injuries in other sports, in the workplace, or in accidents such as car crashes.
If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury and you believe another person’s or organization’s negligence is to blame, don’t wait to call Missouri traumatic brain injury attorney John Page at (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
