Concussion: Now It’s Boxing’s Turn

[Felice Leeds]

You might be surprised to learn that the index case for the study of CTE is the brain of Middleweight Boxing Champion Paul Pender.

In 2003, long before athletes were donating their brains to medical research, Rose Pender made the brave decision to donate her husband's brain to Boston University's Brain Research Study. Rose thought that given Paul's profession, his brain donation was important if it could help other people.

Paul was diagnosed as having suffered from stage 4 CTE.
His brain was the beginning of the legendary study of athletes brains at BU. Since then, hundreds of athletes in all sports have agreed to donate their brains to medical research. Paul Pender's brain remains the index case for the study of CTE at BU.

Paul's story is told in the new documentary, 'Unforgotten, The Story of Paul Pender.'

To learn more go to: https://vimeo.com/103853517
www.facebook.com/unforgottenchamp

[Kid Blast]

You might be surprised to learn that the index case for the study of CTE is the brain of Middleweight Boxing Champion Paul Pender.

In 2003, long before athletes were donating their brains to medical research, Rose Pender made the brave decision to donate her husband's brain to Boston University's Brain Research Study. Rose thought that given Paul's profession, his brain donation was important if it could help other people.

Paul was diagnosed as having suffered from stage 4 CTE.
His brain was the beginning of the legendary study of athletes brains at BU. Since then, hundreds of athletes in all sports have agreed to donate their brains to medical research. Paul Pender's brain remains the index case for the study of CTE at BU.

Paul's story is told in the new documentary, 'Unforgotten, The Story of Paul Pender.'

To learn more go to: https://vimeo.com/103853517
www.facebook.com/unforgottenchamp

Thank you so much for this. Paul was one of Boston's very best. He was also very sharp.

[Radam G]

You might be surprised to learn that the index case for the study of CTE is the brain of Middleweight Boxing Champion Paul Pender.

In 2003, long before athletes were donating their brains to medical research, Rose Pender made the brave decision to donate her husband's brain to Boston University's Brain Research Study. Rose thought that given Paul's profession, his brain donation was important if it could help other people.

Paul was diagnosed as having suffered from stage 4 CTE.
His brain was the beginning of the legendary study of athletes brains at BU. Since then, hundreds of athletes in all sports have agreed to donate their brains to medical research. Paul Pender's brain remains the index case for the study of CTE at BU.

Paul's story is told in the new documentary, 'Unforgotten, The Story of Paul Pender.'

To learn more go to: https://vimeo.com/103853517
www.facebook.com/unforgottenchamp

Thanks for looking out. I appreciate that link. In the past, a lot of pugs were known for getting Pugilistia Dementia, then Parkison's syndrome, i.e. the late, great GOAT Ali. Now, I guess, it is CTE. Or maybe some pugs can get all three of them. Holla!

[Kid Blast]

Thanks for looking out. I appreciate that link. In the past, a lot of pugs were known for getting Pugilistia Dementia, then Parkison's syndrome, i.e. the late, great GOAT Ali. Now, I guess, it is CTE. Or maybe some pugs can get all three of them. Holla!

Some say CTE is a sub-derivative of Pugilistica Dementia. Parkinson's is different as there are different kinds.


Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a deterioration of the brain. It is caused by the buildup of a protein called tau. The brain damage caused by CTE can lead to severe mental and physical disabilities. The condition gets worse over time.

Researchers have a found a link between repetitive head injuries and CTE. The head injury may involve:
A blow or jolt to the head
Severe jarring or shaking
Abruptly coming to a stop

Over time, these injuries can lead to abnormal groups of tau proteins. These proteins can create tangled masses in the brain. The tangles can block normal brain function. Similar tangles are seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease.


Having a history of head injuries puts you at risk for CTE later in life. People who may be at the highest risk include those who:
Participate in contact sports, especially professional boxers, football players, hockey players, wrestlers, and soccer players
Have been in combat military service
Have been physically abused
Have severe seizures
Have a developmental disability and engage in self-abusive behavior (head banging)


Bottom Line: CTE is a very controversial condition that is still not well-understood. Researchers do not yet know the frequency of CTE in the population and do not understand the causes. There is no cure for CTE.

RESOURCES:



Boston University Center for Traumatic Brain Injury
http://www.bu.edu/cste/

Sports Legacy Institute
http://www.sportslegacy.org/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Brain Injury Association of Alberta
http://www.biaa.ca/

Ontario Brain Injury Association
http://www.obia.on.ca/

References:


Blast anatomy—chronic traumatic encephalopathy in military vets. Alzheimer Research Forum website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Published May 18, 2012. Accessed May 29, 2012.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Sports Legacy Institute website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed May 29, 2012.

Kowall N. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its connection with ALS. US Department of Veterans Affairs website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Published November 2010. Accessed May 29, 2012.

LaVecchia F. Traumatic brain injury. Indian Health Service website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed May 29, 2012.

McKee A, Cantu R, Nowinski C, et al. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes: progressive tauopathy following repetitive head injury. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2009; 68(7):709-735.

Moderate to severe traumatic head injury. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated April 5, 2010. Accessed May 29, 2012.

Navarro R. Protective equipment and prevention of concussion—what is the evidence. Sports Physical Therapy Section website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Published 2011. Accessed May 29, 2012.

NINDS Encephalopathy information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated November 9, 2010. Accessed May 29, 2012.

Prevention: What Can I do to Help Prevent Concussion and other forms of TBI? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated May 16, 2012. Accessed May 29, 2012.

Traumatic brain injury: hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated May 14, 2012. Accessed May 29, 2012.

What is CTE? Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed May 29, 2012.

[StormCentre]

I'm not saying it's fair, but by/large boxers not having a pension and/or any money to show for their efforts is the nature of the game.

Most fighters (even if they're from 1st world countries) come to the sport in a competitive sense, not because they're honors students in law, engineering or economics.

So, they usually don't understand the* importance of concepts like contract negotiation/law, amortization, inflation, insurance, contingency, and saving.

Add to it the fact that there's very little financial upside to boxing until you get into top 10 contention; which (even with a sponsor and/or good amateur background) can sometimes take a while even if you're good.


Sure, perhaps the answer is to enact legislation to ensure that deductions are made from promoter/fighter's earnings that pool into a pension.

That would set a standard, and not hurt.

But then, whom would regulate this?

Even so, it's a start.


That said, as it is now anyone or any sportsperson can create their own retirement/pension plan, by simply investing certain amounts of their earnings into a given fund/product on a periodical basis.

Which takes us back to the above *comments.

How would they not be mislead (by someone selling fiction as fact with a deceptive and heavily edited presentation video designed to separate them from their logic and money) as they embark upon that venture?


Furthermore, any politician looking to enact legislation that ensures deductions are made from promoter/fighter's earnings that pool into a pension for the benefit of fighters, also has a decent uphill battle.

As, they need to ensure that such a Bill has meaningful traction on a federal basis.

Otherwise it could possibly - via the snakes nest of different states, interests, organizations, and commissions - just end up being treated like PED testing, infringements of such, and/or any other policy that promoters, fighters, and managers simply wish to sidestep.

But right now, what politician is going to run with such a Bill?

What purpose does it serve his career in an avarice filled world to both, become the living embodiment of such a policy and also take it upon himself to ensure that the bottom feeding pugilistic demography preserve themselves against poverty?



About 15 years ago there was a controversial study done in Australia pertaining to concussions in sport.

The sample group was Aussies and Kiwi's (New Zealanders).

The study was in response to some particularly ugly/violent boxing matches that provided the appearance more of an extremely brutal fight - than a controlled boxing bout; which resulted in both, some boxers being concussed and significant outrage from community.

As was expected, the media quickly secured themselves onto the incidents in question and before long they had devised a way to monetize both it and the public's easily manipulated minds; via the release of sensationalistic articles and claims that - whilst they were not entirely unlike those we have seen here after the MayPac fight - a similarity they also shared with that era was the fact that the articles/claims that the media whipped up did absolutely nothing to discuss the matter at hand with facts and honesty.

This gave rise to the aforementioned so called study.

But (in order to conceal its widely believed witch hunt objectives that themselves were rumored to have originated from previous Olympics activities and also a few top level Australian amateur boxing officials whom pushed back on head gear related safety suggestions) it had to appear legitimate.

As such, the idea of opening up the sporting code sample range to include, not just boxing, but also other ball sports was (despite initially being seen as lip service and a way to conceal the witch hunt objective that was taking place) introduced.

Aside from the fact that the study's results were both unexpected and said to have been subjected to an initial (but failed) attempt to withhold them; due to how the study results themselves actually defeated any witch hunt objectives that may have existed and been directed towards boxing . . . . . .

The summary of the "research" didn't sit too well with most of the media and many media consumers, whom had all displayed knee jerk responses to the above boxing incidents and also the media reports of it.

As it turned out that (in the attempt to legitimize the witch hunt and open the study to various sporting codes other than boxing, what was revealed was that) concussion and serious injury rates - especially those that had long lasting and/or permanent effects - were noticeably more prevalent in Rugby, and Australian rules football.

This was an unexpected finding to those that initially breathed life into the study.

It was not until some of the study's authors were subjected to whistleblowing and a decent dose of non commercial investigative journalism that it became public knowledge that the true results of the study (that actually failed to portray boxing in the seemingly desired negative light) were being withheld.

Needless to say the Australian amateur boxing association at the time were quite vindicated and acted accordingly.


From a perspective of what sports were proven to be terminally dangerous and associated with high death rates; rock fishing was found to be more dangerous than Rugby and Boxing.


Food for thought.



Storm.

[Kid Blast]

rock fishing = wtf?

But great post Storm.

Many knowelgable people are saying the only solution is the abolishment of boxing--and some even call for the end to football. That won't happen in my lifetime, but if some boxing writer proposed the end, I wonder what the response would be. One positive outcome would be that it would eliminate the so-called "experts/historians/writers".

It's a moral dilemma for some. Just don't know, but I do know that every heavy shot to the head takes away something. Just don't know.

[Tex Hassler]

Most young men who box or play football give absotuely no thought about possible brain damage. This is probably ever mentioned by trainers or others familiar with the sports. If I know what I know now I probably never would have boxed. Excellent article by the writer!

[StormCentre]

rock fishing = wtf?

But great post Storm.

Many knowelgable people are saying the only solution is the abolishment of boxing--and some even call for the end to football. That won't happen in my lifetime, but if some boxing writer proposed the end, I wonder what the response would be. One positive outcome would be that it would eliminate the so-called "experts/historians/writers".

It's a moral dilemma for some. Just don't know, but I do know that every heavy shot to the head takes away something. Just don't know.

Look in boxing, most historians (aside from our very own here at TSS) are not really historians in the sense that you might have a historian with expertise in English history.

Where they can recount the successive adventures of all England's Queens with equal clarity, and be able to step you through all the Queen's lives with detailed clarity in such a way that perhaps explaining Queen Mary I, with her . . .

• Early adolescent life being treated as a market commodity - as evidenced by how King Henry VIII often negotiated, arranged, and officially contracted future marriages for her (beginning from when she was just 3 years old) to other royal families, and also (later when she was 6) even to her cousin.
  
  
• Through to her amorous - but, both, suggested and frowned upon - exploits with Spanish partners that themselves were perceived as a risk to English sovereignty and as such gave rise to what was called "Wyatt's Rebellion".
  
  
• All of which preceded how Queen Mary worked diligently to *restore Catholicism whilst she trailed in the wake of her half-brother's brief and controversial Protestant reign - itself a diligent *pursuit on Queen Mary's behalf that was perhaps "complemented" by Queen Mary condemning hundreds and hundreds of religious nonconformists to be horrifically burned at the stake.
  
  
• Horrific and religious history making that was itself preceded how Mary in the early 1500's (after spending almost 3/4 of a decade experiencing extreme health, stress, and family problems that were probably resulting from and also combined with King Henry VIII embarrassingly and successively downgrading her royal status {where at one stage she was publicly deemed "illegitimate" by the King and not permitted to see her mother}) became witness to King Henry VIII officially beheading Queen Anne.
  
  Largely due to the fact that the King was then dissatisfied with Anne.
  
  
• Only to, shortly after Queen Mary I herself passed away, have her kingdom observe all her pugnacious and murderous efforts pertaining to the resurrection of Catholicism reversed by her little sister and successor, Elizabeth I.

. . .Serves as a mere introductory note for both, most genuine historian's capabilities and also what's in store with respect to each recounting each Queen's history.




Moving on . . you're right.

Every shot to the head is dangerous and potentially takes away something.

This is why most real, qualified, and proven Doctors that do decide to oppose combat sports, choose boxing as the focus point for their efforts.

As no other sport - MMA included - subjects their participants to successive and prolonged strikes to head and/or promotes and utilizes such a tactic in a way where it underpins almost 100% of the way to win the contest early - achieve the most desired outcome for at least one fighter and his team - and also please the crowd.

The list of past and/or retired fighters with slurred speech and other neurological traits is not inconsiderable.

Boxing is as dangerous as it is compelling to participate in and watch.

And, that's probably why it's a cult sport.



Rock fishing was found to be the most dangerous sport due to the fact that many fishermen get seriously hurt and/or thrown against the rocks or drowned; as a direct result of them ignoring the risks as they secure and/or fish from a dangerous location.



Storm.

[Kid Blast]

Most young men who box or play football give absotuely no thought about possible brain damage. This is probably ever mentioned by trainers or others familiar with the sports. If I know what I know now I probably never would have boxed. Excellent article by the writer!

Thanks Tex. I might not have played football either. I was a reckless type who would hit someone going at full speed. That can have a bad payback later on. I was lucky.

[Kid Blast]

Look in boxing, most historians (aside from our very own here at TSS) are not really historians in the sense that you might have a historian with expertise in English history.

Where they can recount the successive adventures of all England's Queens with equal clarity, and be able to step you through all the Queen's lives with detailed clarity in such a way that perhaps explaining Queen Mary I, with her . . .

• Early adolescent life being treated as a market commodity - as evidenced by how King Henry VIII often negotiated, arranged, and officially contracted future marriages for her (beginning from when she was just 3 years old) to other royal families, and also (later when she was 6) even to her cousin.
  
  
• Through to her amorous - but, both, suggested and frowned upon - exploits with Spanish partners that themselves were perceived as a risk to English sovereignty and as such gave rise to what was called "Wyatt's Rebellion".
  
  
• All of which preceded how Queen Mary worked diligently to *restore Catholicism whilst she trailed in the wake of her half-brother's brief and controversial Protestant reign - itself a diligent *pursuit on Queen Mary's behalf that was perhaps "complemented" by Queen Mary condemning hundreds and hundreds of religious nonconformists to be horrifically burned at the stake.
  
  
• Horrific and religious history making that was itself preceded how Mary in the early 1500's (after spending almost 3/4 of a decade experiencing extreme health, stress, and family problems that were probably resulting from and also combined with King Henry VIII embarrassingly and successively downgrading her royal status {where at one stage she was publicly deemed "illegitimate" by the King and not permitted to see her mother}) became witness to King Henry VIII officially beheading Queen Anne.
  
  Largely due to the fact that the King was then dissatisfied with Anne.
  
  
• Only to, shortly after Queen Mary I herself passed away, have her kingdom observe all her pugnacious and murderous efforts pertaining to the resurrection of Catholicism reversed by her little sister and successor, Elizabeth I.

. . .Serves as a mere introductory note for both, most genuine historian's capabilities and also what's in store with respect to each recounting each Queen's history.




Moving on . . you're right.

Every shot to the head is dangerous and potentially takes away something.

This is why most real, qualified, and proven Doctors that do decide to oppose combat sports, choose boxing as the focus point for their efforts.

As no other sport - MMA included - subjects their participants to successive and prolonged strikes to head and/or promotes and utilizes such a tactic in a way where it underpins almost 100% of the way to win the contest early - achieve the most desired outcome for at least one fighter and his team - and also please the crowd.

The list of past and/or retired fighters with slurred speech and other neurological traits is not inconsiderable.

Boxing is as dangerous as it is compelling to participate in and watch.

And, that's probably why it's a cult sport.



Rock fishing was found to be the most dangerous sport due to the fact that many fishermen get seriously hurt and/or thrown against the rocks or drowned; as a direct result of them ignoring the risks as they secure and/or fish from a dangerous location.



Storm.

"Boxing is as dangerous as it is compelling to participate in and watch.

"And, that's probably why it's a cult sport."


Yes, that's it. There are many other cross-currents but it's the risk of danger.