Side Stories: CTE Stories w/ Dr. Chris Nowinski

Key Takeaways

CTE, a brain degenerative disease, affects athletes in contact sports at all levels, from youth to professional.
The Concussion & CTE Foundation, co-founded by Dr. Chris Nowinski, is crucial for research, brain donation, and advocacy for those impacted.
The NFL's historical response to CTE involved cover-ups and manipulated studies, and its current player safety initiatives face criticism.
Brain injuries like CTE can lead to severe behavioral changes, including disinhibition, poor decision-making, and increased risk of addiction.
Advances in research are nearing the ability to diagnose CTE in living individuals, opening pathways for clinical trials and potential cures within 20 years.

Dr. Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, is a key figure in CTE research, known for work including 'Head Games' and TED talks.
The host revealed a personal brain donation to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, humorously linking it to recent cognitive changes.
Nowinski, a former Harvard football player and wrestler, now researches chronic traumatic encephalopathy, emphasizing the limited number of researchers in the field.

The NFL previously framed discussions about player safety as anti-football, prioritizing the sport's positive aspects like camaraderie.
The guest suffered permanent post-concussion syndrome from football and wrestling injuries, experiencing headaches and REM behavior disorder.
The host recalled growing up playing football in the 1990s, where players were taught to lead with their heads and rewarded for aggressive play.

CTE is primarily caused by rotational acceleration, which tears axons due to centripetal force in the brain's cortex, distinguishing it from linear acceleration.
Brain donation protocols for research outline a 48-hour window post-death for donation and 72 hours for preservation.
The number of years played in football, rather than diagnosed concussions, predicts CTE risk because neurons do not regenerate; recovery involves rerouting connections.

The guest's work is driven by personal experiences with individuals suffering brain injuries, such as an ex-wrestler found disoriented in the snow.
Chris Benoit's father noted personality changes in his son; wrestlers reported Benoit crying in hallways and forgetting matches in his final year.
Wrestlers like Harley Race, Dynamite Kid, and Bam Bam Bigelow, known for moves such as the 'flying head butt,' suffered trauma and often retired early or died young with links to dementia.

Studies have shown nearly 100 high school players had CTE in their brains, with approximately 30% affected.
Chip Collins, who played eight seasons of high school football, developed dementia in his mid-50s solely from high school play.
The host, who played football and wrestled from age eight, expressed personal concern, noting his father also suffered behavioral issues and estrangement after concussions.

Wyatt Bromwell, 18, was the youngest known case of stage two CTE, contracted around age 10, experiencing significant mental health issues before his 2019 suicide.
The 'Stop Hitting Kids in the Head' campaign urges parents to prevent repetitive head impacts in youth sports, advocating for flag football until age 14.
Tackle football lacks national governing bodies and minimum age standards, allowing young children to sustain impacts equivalent to college players.

There is potential for developing a CTE cure within 20 years through investment and building a community of at-risk individuals.
Researchers are on the cusp of diagnosing CTE in living individuals, which would enable clinical trials.
While CTE and Alzheimer's both involve protein misfolding, their specific misfolding differs, necessitating distinct biomarkers and potentially new drugs, though Alzheimer's research technology is being leveraged.

Aaron Hernandez's brain was studied post-mortem, revealing advanced CTE, stage three, at a young age.
Data indicates a high percentage of examined NFL players have CTE, with the NFL's historical response described as a cover-up involving manipulated studies.
The NFL was forced to acknowledge CTE in 2016 but is not actively promoting awareness, despite implementing rule changes for player safety like those for kickoffs and tackling.

The Concussion & CTE Foundation maintains a 15,000-person brain donation registry and is rebranding to improve accurate CTE prediction.
The foundation studies brains of serial killers, including Robert Card, who had significant brain damage, and has a list of others like Gary Ridgway for study.
They have a limit of 150 brains per year and must turn away potential donors who do not meet exposure criteria, with less than 1% of the general population having CTE.