Brain Trauma In Sports

There was a death in the sports history seventy seven years ago that left a nation muddled and in a state of utter curiosity. An outstanding Yankee’s baseball player, Lou Gehrig, fell victim to an obscure disease at the age of thirty nine that left many with unanswered questions. His demise lead to research into what are now known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) that have notably become more and more prominent and destructive in athletes even up to this day. ALS is a horrific disease in which the mind stays, but the body does not. As the disease progresses over time, the body’s ability to control movement are lost. CTE, on the other hand, takes control of the mind. The body is able to perform …show more content…
It is a long-term damaging brain disease that mimics ALS very closely and is caused by repetitive trauma to the brain either by symptomatic or asymptomatic concussions. The repeated trauma triggers the buildup of an abnormal protein called tau in the brain. With injury, the misfolded protein discharges into the cell setting off a chain reaction that causes it to group together. The clusters gradually eliminate the neurons and spread to adjacent cells slowly deteriorating the brain. Sports in which athletes utilize their heads are often more prone to getting CTE. Military personnel are also exposed to continuous head trauma during combat, not only resulting in physical, but emotional stress as well. Although it can happen to anyone exposed to head trauma, it can only be diagnosed until after death. CTE starts with memory loss, mood swings, and difficulty in concentrating. It then develops into dementia and possible thoughts of suicide. CTE can also result in depression, aggression, and lack of impulse control. These ailments often show years, sometimes decades, after the last brain trauma or end of athletic involvement and lead to other major …show more content…
Although the two are used quite interchangeably there is unique difference. A concussion is a type of head trauma, or otherwise known as a traumatic brain injury. It is caused by a biomechanical impact such as a blow or jolt to head which result in the movement of the brain. The movement stretches and damages the brain cells and creates chemical changes which lead to short term or long term issues with thought process, learning language, and emotion until the brain is healed. Hence, the constant tackling with major force in football or stopping a soccer ball going on an average rate of twenty meters per second can cause serious sudden movement of brain in the skull. Athletes that suffer from concussions become sensitive to light and noise, have issues with balance, and experience headaches. Concussions are usually linked to men more than women, however, women tend to get more concussions than men due to less neck segment mass, girth, and strength than men. As a result, female heads move more drastically. Women experience concussions differently than males; women experience more severe symptoms that are less evident and a slower recovery. Still, the four most common signs of a concussion are the same among both genders. Migraines, cognitive issues with attention or memory, sleep disturbances, and neuropsychiatric emotions all show signs of concussions. Hence, it