'I have looked at about 1,000 brains over the last 10 years, and I have not seen this sort of pathology in any other case before'
A disease linked to repeated concussions in American sport has been found in the brains of two former Australian rugby league players. The discovery is the first time Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy – or CTE – has been identified in an NRL athlete.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in former players of American football, ice hockey, soccer, rugby union and others exposed to repeated head injury.
Researchers and clinicians from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW Health and the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre made the discovery in two donated brains from middle-aged former professionals who played more than 150 NRL games over many years. Their identities have been kept confidential.
Lead author Associate Professor Michael Buckland said the changes in the two brains were “distinctive and definitive”. “I have looked at about 1000 brains over the last 10 years, and I have not seen this sort of pathology in any other case before,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
“The fact that we have now seen these changes in former rugby league players indicates that they, and likely other Australian collision sports players, are not immune to CTE, a disease that has gained such high profile in the United States.”
https://twitter.com/Sydney_Uni/status/1144075737172860928
Former Manly rugby union player Barry “Tizza” Taylor is the only other case of CTE identified in an Australian sportsperson. The disease, originally called punch-drunk syndrome to describe the plight of ex-boxers, can often lead to depression and other behavioural disturbances in younger people.
Symptoms in older people, however, may be indistinguishable from Alzheimer’s disease. It can only be diagnosed confidently by examination of the brain after death. The only known risk factor for CTE is repeated concussions and blows that don’t cause signs or symptoms.
The head of the Concussion Legacy Foundation in Boston labelled the Australian research – published in the international journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications on Thursday – a “groundbreaking” discovery.
Breaking: Australian rugby league rocked by first proof of former players with #CTE.
Just 15 months after @ConcussionLF Global Brain Bank was launched, the first 2 cases of NRL #CTE are published thanks to the hard work of @drmbuckland and team. https://t.co/JBMnUNidCc via @smh— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) June 27, 2019
“We hope the first proof of CTE in rugby league inspires the Australian scientific community to mobilise in the fight against CTE, and advances the conversation on reforms to sport that can prevent this disease,” Dr Christopher Nowinski said.
It’s estimated there is one concussion every 3.35 games of professional rugby league – but that rate may be significantly higher in youth competitions, the study noted.
“Given that brain autopsy is rarely pursued these days, even in cases of suicide referred to the coroner, it is difficult to assess whether these two CTE cases are serendipitous findings, or emblematic of a more common issue with rugby league and other Australian football codes,” the paper said.
More than 80 athletes have pledged to donate their brains to the Australian Sports Brain Bank, set up by Associate Professor Buckland in 2018.
– AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments