The new and improved concussion thread

[LadyStanley]

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...Use+on+Outcomes+in+Traumatic+Brain+Injury.pdf

Linked in Athletic article on marijuana use (in separate thread), mentions study (link above) that marijuana may provide neuroprotective effect for traumatic brain injuries.

Hmmm. That could change the concussion game.

 

[Llama19]

In N.H.L. Concussion Lawsuit, Gary Bettman Opts to Fight

To quote:

"“The N.F.L.’s litigation strategy was informed less by the law than by the public relations and existential threat that concussions posed uniquely to their sport,” said Jodi Balsam, who teaches at Brooklyn Law School and worked at the N.F.L.

In contrast, the N.H.L. strategy has been largely to ignore negative publicity, or at least not to seem outwardly rattled by it, and unapologetically attempt to use the law to its advantage.

An N.H.L. spokesman declined to discuss the league’s legal strategy.

Mark Conrad, the director of the sports business program at Fordham University, said the N.H.L. made the calculation that it can absorb any blowback from its legal approach, even if it appears unduly harsh toward the players."

Source: www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/sports/nhl-concussion-lawsuit-gary-bettman.html

 

[Llama19]

Contact sports associated with Lewy body disease, Parkinson's disease symptoms, dementia

To quote:

""We found the number of years an individual was exposed to contact sports, including football, ice hockey, and boxing, was associated with the development of neocortical LBD [Lewy Body Disease], and LBD, in turn, was associated with parkinsonism and dementia," explained corresponding author Thor Stein, MD, PhD, neuropathologist at VA Boston Healthcare System and assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).

The total years of contact sports play was linked to an increased risk of having LBD in the cortex of the brain. Those who played more than eight years of contact sports had the greatest risk of LBD, which was six times higher than those who played eight years or less. Clinically, athletes with both CTE and LBD were significantly more likely to have dementia and the symptoms of Parkinson's disease than those with CTE pathology alone."

Source: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/buso-csa072518.php

Full Medical Paper

 

[LadyStanley]

My guess is it'll be YEARS before there's resolution on this. And he needs help now. (NHL/NHLPA/NHL Alumni emergency funds?)

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Surprised the NHLPA isn't wearing more of the negative publicity.

 

[Llama19]

Blood, Urine, and Saliva Donations Needed for Research on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

"Aethlon Medical, L.L.C., has partnered with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), a non-profit biomedical research organization, for an upcoming research study on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

TGen is looking for individuals who currently play or have previously played, a contact sport, or who have previously played a non-contact sport, with particular emphasis on former NFL players."

Source: www.tgen.org/patients/participate-in-our-research/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-cte/

 

[joestevens29]

Surprised the NHLPA isn't wearing more of the negative publicity.

Some the PA's seem to make it through all the time.

Did the NFLPA ever get any heat even after Duerson died and admitted in his suicide note that the PA knew all along about concussion issues?

 

[Llama19]

Startling jump in NFL player claims for Parkinson's and ALS pushes payout projections past 65-year total in 18 months

To quote:

"Before Chris Borland decided to walk away from the NFL in 2015, he spent a season learning about the long-term risks of the sport, reading books and talking to neuroscientists.

Nobody mentioned Parkinson’s disease. A single article, he said, referred to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

“It was mostly about CTE [chronic traumatic encephalopathy],” said Borland, who retired at age 24 after a standout rookie season as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers.

Three years later, the number of players with a Parkinson’s or ALS diagnosis who have applied for and received payments under the NFL’s concussion settlement is significantly larger than projected, raising the possibility that professional football players may be at greater risk of developing the neurodegenerative diseases than previously believed.

In the 18 months since the settlement went into effect, 113 Parkinson’s and 42 ALS claims were filed by former players or their representatives. Of those, 81 Parkinson’s and 30 ALS claims worth a combined $146.5 million either have been paid or approved."

Source: www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-medical-payouts-20180808-story.html#

 

[Rick Kehoe]

Startling jump in NFL player claims for Parkinson's and ALS pushes payout projections past 65-year total in 18 months

To quote:

"Before Chris Borland decided to walk away from the NFL in 2015, he spent a season learning about the long-term risks of the sport, reading books and talking to neuroscientists.

Nobody mentioned Parkinson’s disease. A single article, he said, referred to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

“It was mostly about CTE [chronic traumatic encephalopathy],” said Borland, who retired at age 24 after a standout rookie season as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers.

Three years later, the number of players with a Parkinson’s or ALS diagnosis who have applied for and received payments under the NFL’s concussion settlement is significantly larger than projected, raising the possibility that professional football players may be at greater risk of developing the neurodegenerative diseases than previously believed.

In the 18 months since the settlement went into effect, 113 Parkinson’s and 42 ALS claims were filed by former players or their representatives. Of those, 81 Parkinson’s and 30 ALS claims worth a combined $146.5 million either have been paid or approved."

Source: www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-medical-payouts-20180808-story.html#

We really to start tapping the brakes on this automatic assumption anyone who plays pro football or hockey will get CTE or suffer brain damage. Aside from the significant numbers of former pros doing well, the University of Buffalo just released a study of former Bills and Sabres players which showed their brains were just as healthy as athletes from non-contact sports.

 

[Llama19]

Bryan Berard Sues NHL Over Brain Injuries

To quote:

"In his suit, [Ex-NHL Superstar Bryan] Berard says he sustained "repetitive brain injuries" during his career and now has serious medical problems as a result.

Berard says the NHL had a duty to "cease their patent glorification of, and profiting from, fist-fighting and violence in the league""

Source: www.tmz.com/2018/08/16/bryan-berard-sues-nhl-over-brain-injuries/

 

[LadyStanley]

Former NHL players team up to break down mental health barriers for young athletes

Hrudey and Wilkie doing Canadian tour to help kids deal with mental health. Statistics say on a team of 20, 4 will be dealing with mental issues.

 

[Llama19]

Concussions linked to increased risk of suicide, study shows

To quote:

"People who have traumatic brain injuries may be nearly twice as likely to die by suicide as individuals who don’t have a history of injuries like concussions and skull fractures, a large Danish study suggests."

Source: globalnews.ca/news/4391066/concussions-linked-to-increased-risk-of-suicide-study-shows/

 

[shello]

Does anyone have access to a list of players now or at least notable ones suing the league at this point? It's become hard to keep track

 

[LadyStanley]

Eric Lindros suggests banning body contact from hockey

Lindros suggests no more body contact. Wouldn't it be just a game of shinney at that point?

 

[Fenway]

This is tough to watch

https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-originals/video/tsn-original-finding-murph~1466368

 

[Fenway]

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Eric Lindros suggests banning body contact from hockey

Lindros suggests no more body contact. Wouldn't it be just a game of shinney at that point?

IIRC women's hockey reports concussions at a higher rate than men's.

Might honestly be nothing leagues can do.

 

[gstommylee]

Eric Lindros suggests banning body contact from hockey

Lindros suggests no more body contact. Wouldn't it be just a game of shinney at that point?

That will never happen. Get rid of what makes the game fun and the league will suffer from it. I doubt the NHLPA will never agree to that or the NHL will never move to get rid of it.

 

[LadyStanley]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl-in-talks-to-settle-concussion-lawsuit-judge-says-1.1168026

NHL talking settlement over concussion suit.

Hopeful sign for resolution sooner than later

 

[cbcwpg]

NHL, former players in mediation for concussion lawsuit | CBC Sports

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman tells The Associated Press the league is complying with a judge's order by entering mediation with former players in a bid to settle a concussion lawsuit.

Bettman, however, downplayed the significance of the talks, saying the NHL is following the judge's request and the league's position has not changed in arguing the lawsuit "doesn't have merit."

 

[Llama19]

NHL, former players in mediation for concussion lawsuit | CBC Sports

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman tells The Associated Press the league is complying with a judge's order by entering mediation with former players in a bid to settle a concussion lawsuit.

Bettman, however, downplayed the significance of the talks, saying the NHL is following the judge's request and the league's position has not changed in arguing the lawsuit "doesn't have merit."

And Bettman believes DENIAL is a river in Egypt, too...

 

[cbcwpg]

Parker’s family sues NHL after judge rules head trauma issue can’t be class-action

Parker’s family sues NHL after judge rules head trauma issue can’t be class-action

a federal judge in St. Paul, Susan Nelson, rejected the class-action status July 13, on the grounds that it would present “significant case management difficulties.” As a consequence of that ruling, ex-players (or their families) had to choose whether to go it alone against the league. The Parkers elected to sue.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

there really needs to be as much CTE study of non athlete's brains as well.

saying x% of athletes from sport A have CTE is a relatively useless stat without a baseline to compare it against.

having a CTE rate for the "general population" will add context to the NFL and NHL rates of CTE and better prove/disprove the claims of the sport being dangerous in that respect.

 

[Yukon Joe]

there really needs to be as much CTE study of non athlete's brains as well.

saying x% of athletes from sport A have CTE is a relatively useless stat without a baseline to compare it against.

having a CTE rate for the "general population" will add context to the NFL and NHL rates of CTE and better prove/disprove the claims of the sport being dangerous in that respect.

They have found a grand total of one person with diagnosed CTE and no history of brain trauma / concussions.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/toron...-patient-with-no-concussion-history-1.3308916

 

[Llama19]

Zarley Zalapski’s story shows CTE isn’t black and white

To quote:

"“Concussions and the neurological damage from concussions are real and we need to find better ways to prevent and treat them,” says Kyla [Zalapski, sister to former NHL defencesman Zarly], who flew to Toronto and spent six hours with [neuropathologist Dr. Lili-Naz] Hazrati going over Zarley’s results and learning everything she could about them. “We also know CTE is a collection of tau. But that’s as far as science takes us … so much more research is needed before we can jump to conclusions.”

Researchers and experts have continuously examined CTE after Dr. Bennet Omalu found it for the first time in a former NFL player 16 years ago. The possibility that concussions or the newly labelled “sub-concussive hits” lead to CTE was given added clout when Boston University’s CTE Center announced last year that it had located CTE in all but one of 111 brains belonging to former NFLers. The findings sent shock waves around the continent and had some calling for a ban on youth football."

Source: www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-zarley-zalapskis-story-shows-cte-isnt-black-and-white/