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A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 9 September 2017

Science Says: How repeated head blows affect the brain

By LINDSEY TANNER and their axons — fiber-like Abnormal tau deposits
AP Medical Writer parts that transmit mes- in different shapes, pat-
CHICAGO (AP) — Re- sages between cells. With terns and locations have
searchers are tackling a mild blow, these cells been implicated in other
fresh questions about a may return to normal, but brain diseases, including
degenerative brain dis- a forceful hit may cause Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s dis-
ease now that it has been them to die.Common ease and amyotrophic lat-
detected in the brains of symptoms after a concus- eral sclerosis or ALS.
nearly 200 football players sion include dizziness, con- WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
after death. The suspected fusion, headaches, nausea Research suggests early
cause is repeated head and sometimes temporary stages of CTE may cause no
blows, an almost unavoid- loss of consciousness.CTE obvious symptoms. Many
able part of contact sports. has been linked with re- players whose autopsies
As a new NFL season gets peated concussions and showed more advanced
underway, here’s a look at some scientists believe it disease had experienced
what’s known — and what may occur after repeat- personality changes, ag-
still needs to be learned — ed head blows that don’t gressive behavior, para-
about the condition: cause any obvious symp- noia, poor memory, atten-
WHAT’S NEW? toms. But they still don’t tion problems, dementia
The largest report to date know how many head hits and depression. Some died
on chronic traumatic en- This combination of photos provided by Boston University shows is too many. by suicide. Whether the tau
cephalopathy included sections from a normal brain, top, and from the brain of former WHAT HAPPENS IN CTE? changes associated with
University of Texas football player Greg Ploetz, bottom, in stage
202 brains from football IV of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The disease involves pro- CTE cause those symptoms
players at the youth, col- Associated Press gressive brain damage, is unclear.
lege and professional particularly in the frontal re- IS IT JUST A FOOTBALL DIS-
level, all donated post- gion, which controls many EASE?
mortem to a Boston brain brain bank is billed as the lieve genes probably play functions including judg- What’s now called CTE
bank. CTE was detected in world’s largest focusing on a role and may explain ment, emotion, impulse was once thought to
all but one of the 111 NFL traumatic brain injury and why some people with re- control, social behavior mainly affect boxers; the
players studied, 90 per- CTE.But whether CTE is truly peated head blows never and memory. A signature earliest known reference
cent of the college players common in sports or the develop the disease. Life- feature is abnormal de- in the medical literature
and 20 percent of the high general population isn’t style habits including diet, posits of tau protein that was a 1928 report by a
school players. It was ab- known. Most brains studied alcohol and drugs may accumulate around small New Jersey pathologist
sent in two younger play- for CTE have been donat- also somehow contribute. blood vessels in brain crev- who referred to a “punch-
ers’ brains. ed by family members be- HOW DO HEAD BLOWS AF- ices. Tau occurs normally drunk” syndrome.The first
A previous report had de- cause of concerns about FECT THE BRAIN? in brain cells, helping them published finding about
scribed the disease in an mental symptoms that Though the brain is jello-like maintain their shape and CTE in a retired NFL player
18-year-old football play- might be related to the dis- in texture and cushioned function.But researchers was a 2005 report on Pitts-
er, but finding additional ease — they don’t come in cerebrospinal fluid, a believe that multiple head burgh Steelers Hall of Fam-
cases at the high school from a random population powerful hit — from a hard blows may dislodge tau er Mike Webster.CTE also
level raises new questions of people. Some experts tackle, a fist or bomb shock protein from the cell struc- has been found in other
about the game’s safety think it isn’t common since wave — can cause a con- ture and cause it to form contact sports including
for young players. many athletes get repeat- cussion, forcing the brain to clumps inside nerve cells. soccer, baseball and ice
HOW COMMON IS CTE? ed head blows and never ricochet back and forth in- These tau clumps can hockey; in soldiers exposed
The high occurrence of CTE develop symptoms. side the skull. Besides bruis- damage and ultimately kill to bomb blast waves; do-
in donated brains surprised WHAT CAUSES CTE? ing and swelling, research- nerve cells, and can spread mestic violence victims;
researchers at Boston Uni- Repeated knocks to the ers believe that force can as the disease progresses. and in psychiatric patients
versity and the VA Boston head are the most likely cause the brain to elon- At advanced stages, brain who engaged in repeated
Healthcare System, whose cause of CTE. Scientists be- gate, stretching nerve cells shrinkage may occur. head-banging.q