A new study looked at former players in the NFL, an American football league. The players died between January 2008 and December 2023. Researchers estimate that about three in four had a brain disease called CTE.
CTE has links to repeated hits to the head. People with the disease may have problems with memory and keeping their attention on something. They may also feel very unhappy or find it hard to control their actions. Doctors can only confirm CTE by examining the brain after death.
The Boston University team studied more than 2,300 former players. Families gave almost 400 of their brains to the university for research. Families of players with signs linked to CTE were five times more likely to give a brain than other families.
The team took this difference into account. It estimated that 74.5 per cent of the players had CTE, below the 99 per cent estimate from a 2017 study of donated brains. Researchers also estimate that about one in four had dementia, a condition that affects memory and thinking.
