NFL Owns Up To Long-Term Dangers Of Concussions In New Locker Room Poster

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Posted on 28th July 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Brain Injury

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I wonder to what extent the National Football League has really changed its stance on concussions. 

The league, long criticized for downplaying and denying the long-term damage of of concussions, is making a poster for team locker rooms that will spell out rather frankly the dangers of brain injury, according to The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/sports/football/27concussion.html?ref=football

The paper published a picture of the league’s new poster with the story it published Tuesday, which was headlined “NFL Asserts Greater Risks of Head Injury.”

The poster, which The Times says will also be given to players in a brochure form, boldly notes the connection of concussions to depression and the early onset of dementia. It also warns that repeated concussions “can change your life and your family’s life forever,” according to The Times.

And the poster also has photos depicting kids playing sports, reminding the pro players that “other athletes are watching.”

 The idea of  creating the new poster comes from the NFL’s new head, neck and spine medical committee, with the support of league commissioner Roger Goodell, The Times reported.  And the text was written by the medical committee along with the players’ union and the Centers for Disease Control. 

But Times reporter Alan Schwartz also noted that the NFL is still giving former players who have symptoms of early-onset dementia a hard time over disability payments. The older players have been deemed ineligible for the richer disability payments that players with on-field injuries receive.

 

Pittsburgh Steeler Roethlisberger Suspended For Six Games, Ordered To Undergo Behavioral Evaluation

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Posted on 21st April 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Brain Injury

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As expected, Pittsburgh Steeler Ben Roethlisberger Wednesday was suspended by the National Football League for six games, with the punishment stemming from the quarterback’s sexual encounter with an intoxicated 20-year-old student in a Georgia bar.

And we’re very happy to see that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to be following our advice about Roethlisberger: The NFL is making the quarterback also undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation by medical professionals.

“Your conduct raises sufficient concerns that I believe effective intervention now is the best step for your personal and professional welfare,” Goodell said in a letter to Roethlisberger. http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d817ab3d0&template=with-video&confirm=true

We hope that evaluation includes brain scans, as Roethlisberger’s many woes come in the wake of the numerous brain injuries he’s sustained in recent years, from a serious motorcycle accident that almost killed him to four concussions on the field. That is the kind of traumatic brain injury that has been shown to change a person’s behavior.

The NFL is trying to give Roethlisberger a second chance, the opportunity, and hopefully the tools, to modify his behavior, which was reprehensible in the incident that prompted his suspension.

“In your six years in the NFL, you have first thrilled and now disappointed a great many people,” Goodell wrote in his letter. “I urge you to take full advantage of this opportunity to get your life and career back on track.”

Roethlisberger, 28, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of a Georgia bar March 5. Prosecutors felt they couldn’t being criminal charges in the case, but they made public many of the details of police reports that outlined the shocking and sordid details of the incident. The quarterback gave the young woman shots of liquor, followed her into a bathroom, and had sex with her even as she objected. Roethlisberger’s bodyguards stopped the woman’s friends from rescuing her.   

This athlete, who lead his team to two Super Bowls wins, has not  exactly turned out to be a role model for America’s youth, or America’s men, for that matter.

As The New York Times pointed out, Roethlisberger now has the dubious distinction of being the first NFL player to be suspended for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy – without having been charged with a crime.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/sports/football/22roethlisberger.html?hpw

The NFL issued a statement Wednesday on Roethlisberger’s suspension without pay “for conduct detrimental to the NFL in violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.”

According to the NFL’s announcement, after consultation with Goodell, Steelers President Art Rooney and the commissioner phoned Roethlisberger Wednesday of the two-step approach that is designed to hold Roethlisberger accountable for his conduct and provide him an opportunity to change his behavior and establish himself as a responsible individual.

In a letter to Roethlisberger, Goodell said that Roethlisberger must adhere to any counseling or treatment that is recommended by the professional evaluators to help him make better decisions and avoid situations that can cause legal or other problems. A professional behavioral evaluation is mandatory for anyone that has violated the personal-conduct policy.

Roethlisberger may not attend any team off-season activity after today until he has completed the evaluation and the evaluating professionals confirm with the commissioner that Roethlisberger may resume football activities. If so cleared, Roethlisberger will be able to participate in training camp and preseason games this summer.

The commissioner said he would review Roethlisberger’s progress under the plan prior to the start of the regular season and consider whether to reduce the suspension to four games. Failure to cooperate and follow the plan could result in a longer suspension, according to Goodell.

“The personal conduct policy makes clear that I may impose discipline ‘even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime’ as, for example, where the conduct ‘imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person,’” Goodell stated in his letter to Roethlisberger.

“As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The personal-conduct policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that ‘undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.’ By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard.”

Goodell said his review of the case included the extensive volume of material released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Milledgeville Police Department; public comments by and a private conversation with Georgia District Attorney Fred Bright; comments and recommendations of Roethlisberger’s representatives; a personal interview with Roethlisberger on April 13; dialogue with current players, former players, the NFL Players Association, and others; and information learned by the NFL office in the course of examining the Milledgeville matter.

These are some additional excerpts from Goodell’s letter:

“I recognize that the allegations in Georgia were disputed and that they did not result in criminal charges being filed against you,” Goodell said in his letter to Roethlisberger. “My decision today is not based on a finding that you violated Georgia law, or on a conclusion that differs from that of the local prosecutor. That said, you are held to a higher standard as an NFL player, and there is nothing about your conduct in Milledgeville that can remotely be described as admirable, responsible, or consistent with either the values of the league or the expectations of our fans.”

Added Goodell, “I believe it is essential that you take full advantage of the resources available to you. My ultimate disposition in this matter will be influenced by the extent to which you do so, what you learn as a result, and a demonstrated commitment to making positive change in your life.”

Let’s hope that the most comprehensive, and state-of-the-art, TBI brain scanning and are other evaluation tools are used to examine, and help, Roethlisbeger.

 

NFL Donates $1 Million For The Study Of Long-Term Impact Of Brain Injuries In Football

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Posted on 20th April 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Brain Injury

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The National Football League, which until recently was in denial about the long-term impact of concussions on its players as they age, is helping to foot the bill for research on the topic. 

The NFL is donating $1 million to support the study of brain trauma at the Boston University School of Medicine, officials said Tuesday. http://www.bumc.bu.edu/2010/04/20/nfl-gives-1-million-to-busm%e2%80%99s-cste-to-study-long-term-impact-of-brain-injuries-in-football/

The gift to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) will be used to continue the center’s research into the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma in athletes, in particular football players.

CSTE claims to be have been the driving force in providing evidence that repetitive blows to the head in sports can cause a degenerative brain disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, that is associated with later life cognitive and behavioral problems, and eventually causes dementia.

The NFL is the first professional sports league to financially support this research at the CSTE.

“We obviously are very interested in the Center’s research on the long-term effects of head trauma in athletes,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “It is our hope this research will lead to a better understanding of these effects and also to developing ways to help detect, prevent and treat these injuries.”

In a press release, the center said that its research has mainly focused on studying the brains of deceased athletes, but that future research will include advancing future pathological understanding of the consequences of sports-related brain trauma. The CSTE will launch a clinical research program to develop methods of early detection and to develop ways to effectively prevent and treat this disease.

 “We are extremely grateful to Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL owners for their support of this important research,” Dr. Robert Cantu, CSTE co-director and clinical professor of neurosurgery at Boston University’s medical school, said in a statement.

“This gift and the significant changes made in recent months by the NFL demonstrate the League’s commitment to the health and safety of current, retired, and future players, as well as millions of youth athletes,” Cantu said. “These unrestricted funds allow us to accelerate our research with independence and scientific integrity.”

CTE, also referred to as dementia pugilistica (or punch drunk syndrome), is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive concussive and subconcussive brain trauma, and eventually leads to dementia, according to the center.

Although it is well established in boxers, in recent years CTE has been shown to exist in other athletes, including professional and collegiate football players and a professional hockey player, according to the center.

The disease is characterized by the build-up of a toxic protein called tau in the form of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and neuropil threads (NTs) throughout the brain. The abnormal protein initially impairs the normal functioning of the brain and eventually kills brain cells.

Early on, CTE sufferers may display clinical symptoms such as memory impairment, emotional instability, erratic behavior, depression and problems with impulse control. However, CTE eventually progresses to full-blown dementia. Although similar to Alzheimer’s disease, CTE is an entirely distinct disease.

The CSTE was created in 2008 as a collaborative venture between Boston University’s medical school ad the non-profit Sports Legacy Institute). The CSTE’s mission is to conduct state-of-the-art research of CTE, including its neuropathology and pathogenesis, the clinical presentation and course, methods of diagnosis and early detection, the genetics and other risk factors for CTE, and ways of preventing and treating this cause of dementia.

Pittsburgh Steeler Roethlisberger Won’t Face Criminal Assault Charges

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Posted on 12th April 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Brain Injury

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has suffered numerous concussions on the field and from a serious motorcycle accident, won’t face criminal charges after being accused of sexually assaulting a college student in the bathroom of a bar where he was having his birthday party. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/sports/football/13roethlisberger.html?ref=sports

During a press conference Monday Fred Bright, the district attorney in Ocmulgee County in Georgia, said that he had received a letter from Roethlisberger’s accuser, and that she did not want to continue to press charges against the football player.

“The sexual allegation against Mr. Roethlisberger cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Bright said. “Therefore, there will be no arrest made, nor criminal prosecution of Mr. Roethlisberger for his actions here March 5, 2010.” http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/12/roethlisberger.charges/?hpt=T2

But the district attorney outlined the details of what happened the night of the alleged incident in a bar in Milledgeville, Ga., and The New York Time suggests that the tawdry tale could prompt NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to discipline Roethlisberger, who has lead the Steelers to two Super Bowl Championships.

Goodell is slated to meet with Roethlisberger this week, and he could suspend the quarterback for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy, according to The Times.

Steelers President Art Rooney II issued his own statement after Bright’s announcement. http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Statement-by-Steelers-President-Art-Rooney-II/32a16d96-fc6c-42e5-a289-d8a3b289866d

“The investigation process in Georgia has been deliberate and the District Attorney’s decision regarding Ben Roethlisberger speaks for itself,” Rooney said.

“During the past few weeks I have met with Ben on a number of occasions, not only to discuss this incident, but also to discuss his commitment to making sure something like this never happens again,” he wrote. “The Pittsburgh Steelers take the conduct of players and staff very seriously. Ben will now have to work hard to earn back the respect and trust of Steelers fans, and to live up to the leadership responsibilities we all expect of him.”

In conclusion, Rooney said, “In the coming days Ben will meet with Commissioner Goodell to discuss his resolve to abide by the league’s personal conduct standards. After consultation with the Commissioner, our organization will determine the next steps in this process.”

As we wrote in a blog in March, Roethlisberger’s recent problems are perhaps being caused by the accumulation of brain damage from the four concussions he has suffered while playing, and the head injuries he sustained in a near-fatal June 2006 motorcycle accident. Brain injury can result in neuro-behavioral problems, changing one’s usual actions.

In the case where Roethlisberger has escaped prosecution, he and his accuser had met at a bar the night of the alleged incident; were drinking heavily; and were engaging in conversations that were of a sexual nature, Bright said at the press conference.

After the alleged incident, the accuser was taken to a hospital, but it could not be definitively determined if she had been sexually assaulted.

“Here, the overall circumstances do not lead to a viable prosecution,” Bright said. “We are not condoning Mr. Roethlisberger’s actions that night. We do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes.”

It would be a good move for Goodell to lay down the law to Roethlisberger, who has exhibited some of the control problems that those afflicted with traumatic brain injury have.

After all, the incident in Georgia is not the only sexual-assault charge that has been levied against the player. A woman has filed suit against Roethlisberger, alleging that he raped her in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2008.

Roethlisberger, who shunned wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle, was almost killed in a 2006 accident when he was thrown in an accident with a car and hit his head.

Goodell should consider requiring Roethlisberger to have a full brain injury assessment as part of any compliance he requires.  He is certainly innocent until proven guilty and it is not either our or Goodell’s role to determine that.  But the issue of abnormal neurobehavior should be ruled out before Roethlisberger exposes himself to any more concussions.