from the journal Brain
There is a great deal of attention to the
long-term health consequences of
concussions because of CTE (chronic
traumatic encephalopathy), a brain
disease in some athletes and others who
have suffered repeated concussions.
Concussions clearly are an important part
of this puzzle, but Boston University
researchers raise another possibility. They
suggest hits to the head that are never
diagnosed as concussions may also be a
cause of CTE. This helps explain why
twenty percent of athletes with CTE had
no diagnosed concussions. Christopher
Nowinsky, co-director of the CTE Center
says the study published in the journal
Brain is important because efforts to
protect athletes focus on preventing
concussions rather than reducing repeated
hits to the head.