What Is the NFL Doing About CTE?

In this blog post, we’ll explore what the NFL is doing to help prevent and treat CTE.

Introduction

In recent years, the NFL has been under intense scrutiny for the way it has handled concussions and other head injuries suffered by players. This has led to repeated calls for the league to do more to protect its players, especially when it comes to the long-term effects of head injuries.

One of the main concerns raised is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to repeated head trauma. CTE can cause a wide range of symptoms, including memory loss, depression, and dementia.

So far, the NFL has taken a number of steps to try and address the issue of CTE. In 2016, the league launched the Head Health Challenge, a $60 million initiative to fund research on head injuries and ways to prevent them. The NFL has also implemented new rules designed to reduce the risk of concussions, such as banning players from leading with their helmets when making tackles.

The league has also donated millions of dollars to various medical research organizations that are studying CTE and other degenerative brain diseases. In 2017 alone, the NFL gave $17 million to the National Institutes of Health for brain injury research.

Critics argue that these steps are not enough, and that the NFL needs to do more to educate players about the risks of head injuries and provide them with better health care after they retire. They also believe that the league should do more to prevent concussions from happening in the first place.

What is CTE?

CTE is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military personnel, and others with a history of brain trauma. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, impulsive behavior, depression, and progressive dementia.

There is no known cure for CTE, and it can only be diagnosed after death. The NFL has come under fire in recent years for its handling of concussions and other head injuries. In 2016, the league released new guidelines for players showing signs of concussion, mandating that they be removed from the game and not allowed to return until they are cleared by a medical professional.

The NFL has also donated millions of dollars to research on CTE and its prevention. In 2017, the league committed $100 million to initiatives focused on player safety, including $60 million to support research on concussions and $40 million for other injury prevention initiatives.

How prevalent is CTE in the NFL?

CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia.

The disease can only be diagnosed posthumously, and it has been found in the brains of more than 100 former NFL players. In a 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that 99% of NFL players studied who had donated their brains to science showed signs of CTE.

The NFL has come under fire for its handling of concussions and head injuries in recent years, and the league has made several changes to try to improve player safety. These include instituting concussion protocol guidelines, banning certain tackling techniques, and making changes to the way players practice and play the game.

Despite these changes, concussions are still a major problem in the NFL. In the 2017 season, there were 291 reported concussions – a 58% increase from the previous season. It is unclear if this increase is due to more accurate reporting or if there are actually more concussions occurring.

Given the high prevalence of CTE in former NFL players, it is likely that many current players are living with the disease or will develop it later in life. It is important for the league to continue to take steps to protect its athletes and ensure their safety both on and off the field.

How does CTE affect players?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by repeated head injuries. Symptoms of CTE include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, suicidality, parkinsonism, and eventually progressive dementia. These symptoms typically do not appear until years or even decades after the last brain injury or end of active athletic involvement.

CTE has been diagnosed in former players of many contact sports, including football, boxing, rugby, and wrestling. However, CTE is most commonly associated with American football. A 2017 study found that of 111 brains of former NFL players that were donated to science, 110 were diagnosed with CTE.

In the past few years, the NFL has made some changes in an attempt to reduce the incidence of CTE in its players. These include banning tackling in practices (although players are still tackle in games), changing the rules to make it easier for concussed players to leave games and get treatment, and investing millions of dollars in research on brain injuries.

Despite these changes, some experts have criticized the NFL for not doing enough to prevent CTE. They argue that the league should do more to reduce the number of hits players take during games, and that helmets and other protective equipment are not adequate at preventing concussions.

What is the NFL doing about CTE?

The National Football League has been under scrutiny in recent years for the number of players that have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can be caused by repeated head trauma, and has been linked to dementia, depression, and other neurological disorders. While the NFL has taken some steps to try to reduce the risk of CTE, critics say that more needs to be done.

Research

The National Football League is committed to supporting scientific research into CTE and its effects on football players.

The NFL has established the Play Smart. Play Safe. initiative to promote player health and safety, including research on CTE. The initiative includes a $30 million research grant to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for independent scientific research on concussion-related injuries, including CTE.

The NFL is also funding an ongoing study by Boston University’s Dr. Ann McKee, a leading expert on CTE. The study focuses on collecting brain tissue from deceased former NFL players to help identify the presence of CTE and advance understanding of its effects.

In addition, the NFL is working with the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) to develop improved testing standards for football helmets with the goal of reducing the risk of concussions and other head injuries.

Rule changes

In an effort to cut down on head injuries, the NFL has implemented a number of rule changes over the years. Perhaps the most significant change was moving the kickoff line up 5 yards in 2009, which has resulted in fewer returns and more touchbacks. In 2016, they made further changes to try and reduce the number of head injuries on kickoffs, including prohibiting players from getting a running start and banningpeeling back blocks.

The NFL has also changed the rules to make it easier for concussion spotters to take players out of the game. In 2016, they added independent concussion spotters who can stop play if they believe a player may have suffered a concussion. And in 2017, they made it so that players who show ANY sign of a concussion must be taken out of the game for evaluation.

The league has also made changes to their policies on painkillers, instituting a strict monitoring program in an attempt to curb abuse. Players are also now taught about the dangers of painkiller abuse as part of their rookie symposiums.

Education and awareness

The National Football League (NFL) is committed to addressing the issue of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can be caused by repeated head trauma.

The NFL has taken several steps to raise awareness of CTE and to help prevent it. The NFL launched the Head Health Challenge, a $60 million research and development initiative to accelerate the development of new technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. The NFL has also invested in research on CTE, including a $1 million donation to Boston University’s CTE Center.

The NFL is also working to educate players on the risks of CTE and how to reduce their risk of developing the disease. The NFL has implemented rule changes aimed at reducing concussions, such as banning hits to the head and neck area. The NFL has also developed concussion protocols that must be followed if a player is suspected of having a concussion. These protocols include removing the player from the game and requiring them to be evaluated by a medical professional.

The NFL is also working with USA Football, the sport’s national governing body, on a program called tackling for tomorrow. This program provides coaching education on proper tackling technique, which can help reduce the risk of concussion.

Conclusion

The National Football League has been plagued by concerns about the safety of its players for many years, especially in regard to the risk of concussions and other head injuries. These concerns came to a head in recent years with the rise of the chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) diagnosis, which can only be made posthumously. The condition is thought to be caused by repeated head trauma and has been linked to various health problems, including depression, dementia, and suicide.

In response to these concerns, the NFL has implemented a number of rule changes designed to reduce the risk of head injuries, including banning certain types of hits and instituting mandatory concussion protocols. The league has also pledged $100 million to research CTE and other head injuries. However, some critics argue that these steps are not enough and that the NFL should do more to protect its players from the risks of CTE.