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New Study Suggests Brain Damage and Aggression are Result of Traumatic Brain Injury


If you follow the news lately, it seems that athletes behaving aggressively is on the rise.  Is this the case or is increased attention finally being paid to the condition these men are developing as a result of traumatic blows?

A new study has come out which may explain incidents of aggression among professional athletes and even soldiers. If the study is to be believed, successive blows to the head could cause 4 stages of brain damage which could cause both aggression and dementia.

Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine released a study on Monday in the Journal Brain, which accounts for multiple head injuries leading to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.  Traumatic encephalopathy is as suggested, a degenerative disease characterized by a progression of dementia brought about by head injuries and concussions.  Even mild injuries could add up over time and cause serious changes to the brain.

4 Stages of Brain Degeneration

As research into the condition of traumatic encephalopathy deepens, an interesting and frightening pattern emerges that explains the brain's degeneration.

  • Step 1: headaches and inattention, hard to focus
  • Step 2: depression, anger issues and seemingly inappropriate outbursts, brief periods of memory loss
  • Step 3: impairment of the brain's cognitive functions
  • Step 4: difficulty to form words and find the words to use in speech, dementia, aggressive behavior
These degenerative stages are reportedly the effect of mild to medium concussions and blows to the head which can damage the brain over time.  For this reason, the NFL has changed its guidelines, banning helmet to helmet hits, and many school districts have new limits on the number of hits students may endure in practice and game play.

Many Athletes are Suffering

Over the past few years, a lot of press has come out about athletes who have become ill with degenerative brain problems.  Believe it or not, this is not only the result of a personal injury, but it is the result of repeated injuries on the job.  And yet the NFL seems to offer little in the way of helping these injured athletes long term care.  Perhaps with more studies like this, injured athletes can come forward and get the help that they need. If you have suffered this degenerative brain condition, please seek medical help.  And please also seek out a talented attorney who can help you gain the help you need.