A new study looked at former NFL football players. It estimates that 74.5 percent of players who died from January 2008 through December 2023 had CTE. That means almost three in four players in this group. CTE is a brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head.
Researchers at Boston University studied more than 2,300 former players. Families gave the brains of almost 400 players to the university for research. The team found the other players through US death records. Doctors can only tell if someone has CTE by studying the brain after death.
Families were five times more likely to give a player's brain for research if the player had shown signs linked to CTE. This difference can make the disease seem more common. The team took this difference into account to make its estimate. An earlier study of donated brains put the number at 99 percent.
People later found to have CTE can have trouble remembering things or paying attention. They can also feel very sad or find it hard to control their actions. The researchers also estimate that about one in four players in the group had dementia. This condition affects memory and thinking and is common in the late stages of CTE.
