Donating Your Brain

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I was reading an article last week about the call for ex rugby players to donate their brains to Sports science. The Centre for Brain Research or CBR at the Auckland University has recently launched this initiative to learn more about the effect of head injuries and concussions on the brain.

They haven't just asked ex rugby players, but footballers and boxers as well. They have asked everyone who has played these sports to consider this request and even if you didn't have any head injuries. I would consider it but haven't given it that much thought yet would I or wouldn't I. I know you are dead but piecing out your body just feels a bit weird right now even though it is an area that needs loads of research. I am hoping by the time I die they will have found all they need to know.

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Brain damage in living ex NFL players.

Just during the last rugby season new Zealand had over 9000 concussions with players under 19 years of age and that isn't a good stat. More than 20 percent of all brain injuries in New Zealand are due to a contact sport. I know we joke that boxers and rugby players don't have any brains normally, but this is no joke. Rugby players have brains, but I don't think boxers have any or very little.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a disorder or more commonly knows as CTE and is caused by the repeated bashing of the brain. I have known some ex players who had to stop playing rugby due to having too many concussions. One even was advised to wear a scrum cap, but don't think that would really help matters to be honest as it isn't like a helmet.

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Research into CTE is a difficult one as it can only be done during an autopsy as you can't do this whilst the person is alive. Very little is known about this degenerative disease and what they do know is it is found in patients who have been involved in contact sports. A concussion basically ages the brain and can cause dementia like effects if severe enough.

This is a serious condition that has been found in ex American Football players with many committing suicide. There needs to be more research done to find out how to prevent this but honestly banging your head around is not advisable and I don't know what the answer is.

Only recently has this been taken seriously with head assessments forcing players off during matches even if they don't want to. Many players don't take this seriously enough and possibly the 2 week cooling down period needs to be extended allowing the brain to heal. That surely is the only cure as playing a contact sport like rugby you are bashing your head fairly often. Football heading the ball is not great either and I don't see any way around that either. The balls have changed and are a lot lighter than the leather ones from years gone past.

One ex All Black mentioned that he went to a reunion and didn't recognize anyone and had to read the name tags or they introduced themselves. He has subsequently been diagnosed with CTE and said he is not the only one around as he knows of others who have no clue of what is going on around them.

This is a sad story and have heard of others similar to this. I know I can count my concussions on one hand and I am forgetful anyway so I should be just fine. I can think of some team mates though who could be in trouble as they were concussed regularly and continued playing. We had no idea back then and were considered weak if you left the field in those days. There was no physical damage and was all internal I suppose.