Punishing Profession

" Had a rough day and the NFL today releasing a brand new study. About the dangers of other football injuries it reports that alzheimer's disease and other memory related diseases. Or more common among former football players then among those in the general population. While this may seem kinda obvious it marks the first time the NFL was publicly admitted to any connection between football and the declining mental conditions of its former players. According to this study retired players suffer at a rate of nineteen times the normal rate of men ages thirty to 49. We're told hundreds of players suffer concussions each week. Whether they're high schooler the pros and the study suggests that many of those concussions go untreated undiagnosed. With us now doctor -- Georgia he's in Europe urologist at case western -- reserve university in Cleveland Ohio doctor to -- Thank you and me how serious is this."

" Well me that he could potentially is very serious and as you pointed out it seems sound into would have. That if you get hit in the -- a thousand times that eventually you know can take it home. On this that the describe before it was known originally as dimension -- ballistic. And now it's referred to as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. What happens is that the brain is like really what a bowl of jello and sad day in and closed case. And when you get hit in the head at sloshing around in vibrates and those vibrations can tear of the nerve fibers in the brain cells and can lead to. To damage which eventually can can lead to memory loss -- has a cock and the problems it is I think this is potentially very serious I don't think it's been around for a long time I think what's different now. Is that the NFL has finally recognizing this mean this is the latest in a number of studies that have demonstrated this. Tom has happened in in in football players."

" I know Troy Aikman had a body doesn't and I know Brett Favre had a lot of concussion than of -- tell you. They're not any fun but I as a neurologist. Would you say to parents until they come up with some better kind of helmet. Don't let your kids play or is it not that extreme."

" Well we made a lot of progress in the last ten years both and how much technology as well as some developing tools. To better diagnosing concussions in in particles to manage them. But we definitely need to do -- we need to well work to further develop those protocols."

" You know you try to help these -- are the satellite -- killing both of us and for that I'm I'm earnestly sorry. But I wanted to know you know they've been a lot of rules changes especially in the NCAA. In college football about head to head contact and that sort of thing so it looks like they're recognizing it and trying."

" Yes I mean I think there's a greater recognition of listening and that when I was a kid you your coach for -- to slap on the back and you you've got an -- game. And now we know that. The the player needs to sit out and rest. Until all the symptoms have resolved and it really needs a period of -- we -- ten days of unrest. Before they can get back into and to a routine so we're we're understanding this more in new we clearly need to do more studies. Come on this to confirm that sent to really understand exactly how this happens."

" You see Tim Tebow over the weekend down there for the gators he had. He got one heck of a shot that's a tough guy let's face it he got one heck of a shot and then afterwards he's trying to can get together Tim Tebow video ready look at you guys. So he's on the sideline over there you know throwing his guts up. And they take it back in the back sure -- he had -- in custody is he susceptible now to see. Much more susceptible to dementia and other from the memory loss conditions in the folks who didn't get out there for the gators in that way."

" Well obvious target the specific about Pacific kids that you see but clearly if you have repetitive hits over years. Honda takes a -- I'm -- there's there's no getting around that. And does so I think that that we clearly need to have a better tools to assess how to how to manage these these are players and and -- and better technology. All right doctor is a great idea how much intelligent kinder to minimize that the damage particularly -- that that plays well we had created the neurologists actually cringe. When I see these these classic hits high clear."

" Is this a football fan even though was Tim Tebow and even to what was the gators still -- bad -- anybody duck it's great to see maybe they'll work on this thank you thank you knew."