preview

CTE: A Psychological Analysis

Decent Essays
Open Document

Sports have always been an important part of our life as they are considered to be one of the most accessible recreational activities available to almost all population groups. There are, certainly, various kinds of sport that one can engage in, and, often times, they may be influenced by one’s socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, culture, geographical location and more. This aspect, however, is what makes sports so appealing to the public, and its uniqueness allows for accommodation of almost every personality. Sports generally allow children and adults to sustain their body, mind, and spirits in excellent shape by combining the two of the most important factors: physical exercise to keep the body lean and healthy and play to keep …show more content…

These extra steps certainly help but they are not always sufficient in preventing post-traumatic brain damage and its consequences. One of the most prevalent conditions that are thought to be associated with high-risk sports is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE which, generally, is a progressive degenerative neurological process that accommodates a variety of symptoms. Some of the symptoms of CTE are progressive cerebral atrophy, dementia, mood disorders like depression, increased aggression and more. Also, one of the most prominent anatomical differences between a healthy brain and a brain affected by CTE is the presence of increased levels of tau protein that accumulates in neurofibrillary tangles of the brain, thus, preventing the transmission of nervous signals from one neuron to another. CTE presents a serious concern because of the complexity of the disease and difficulties in diagnosing this condition which, interestingly, seems to be prevalent among those who participate in high trauma-level contact sports, but also those who suffered brain damage through accidents and/or during military missions. Despite the contradictions between the proponents and the opponents of a theory that contact sports predispose the athletes to CTE, a number of research studies …show more content…

First of all, according to McKee et al., it seems that it is not only severe head injuries that may predispose athletes to develop CTE later in life but also repetitive mild brain injuries that are often left unnoticed that play a significant role in developing this condition. The condition itself may be present through various symptoms and does not have to show all of the signs of the disease to be present as the condition is progressive throughout the lifespan. Furthermore, extensive research studies have shown significant evidence that sub-lethal brain damage during childhood years (before the age of twelve) when a human nervous system is undergoing its key development results in the impairment of brain function (intellectual performance later in life) which might contribute to the development of CTE condition later in life. Therefore, even if the link between mild TBI in childhood and CTE is not yet

Get Access