deanvogs
Well-Known Member
I ran across this interesting article by a Forensic pathologist and neuropathologist. I am linking the article because I have always felt that the picture being painted about CTE was pretty broad and sweeping with little true research into it.
https://sports.yahoo.com/im-brain-scientist-let-son-play-football-135727314.html
This sort of thing reminds me of how the media and medical community rushes to tell us that we shouldn't eat eggs, that they are more dangerous than cigarettes stuff. Well the studies were flawed, and the more research that is put into it, the mitigating factors have more to do with Cholesterol than do eggs themselves. To read a good example of how we understand so much more about cholesterol and diets now than we did in the 70's and 80's read this piece: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/06/518152471/unscrambling-the-nutrition-science-on-eggs
Now I'm not saying there isn't some relation between CTE and football, but I think the overreaction right now is strong with very little supporting evidence. Especially when talking about youth football, and that is the same opinion that the forensic pathologist came to as well.
People are coming away from the constant media barrage with the belief that concussions are the sole and direct cause of CTE, most or all football players have CTE, and CTE has led football players to become violent, commit suicide or develop dementia.
I had the same impression before I decided to look a little deeper. But when I dove into the published literature regarding CTE, I discovered the scientific evidence to support the media’s narrative was lacking; in fact, I found bodies of evidence to the contrary and a whole other side to the science that is largely ignored.
I’m not alone. A number of members of the medical and research communities are also voicing serious doubts about the current state of the science linking concussion and CTE.
https://sports.yahoo.com/im-brain-scientist-let-son-play-football-135727314.html
This sort of thing reminds me of how the media and medical community rushes to tell us that we shouldn't eat eggs, that they are more dangerous than cigarettes stuff. Well the studies were flawed, and the more research that is put into it, the mitigating factors have more to do with Cholesterol than do eggs themselves. To read a good example of how we understand so much more about cholesterol and diets now than we did in the 70's and 80's read this piece: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/06/518152471/unscrambling-the-nutrition-science-on-eggs
Now I'm not saying there isn't some relation between CTE and football, but I think the overreaction right now is strong with very little supporting evidence. Especially when talking about youth football, and that is the same opinion that the forensic pathologist came to as well.
People are coming away from the constant media barrage with the belief that concussions are the sole and direct cause of CTE, most or all football players have CTE, and CTE has led football players to become violent, commit suicide or develop dementia.
I had the same impression before I decided to look a little deeper. But when I dove into the published literature regarding CTE, I discovered the scientific evidence to support the media’s narrative was lacking; in fact, I found bodies of evidence to the contrary and a whole other side to the science that is largely ignored.
I’m not alone. A number of members of the medical and research communities are also voicing serious doubts about the current state of the science linking concussion and CTE.
