In by far the largest study to date of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a study now shows that 110 of 111 former NFL players suffered from the degenerative brain disease. Results were published in the July 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The disease is linked to repeat blows to the head and can only be diagnosed after death. CTE and its link to football were recently highlighted in the film Concussion.
The study was conducted by Dr. Ann McKee of the VA Boston Healthcare System and the Boston University School of Medicine. Click here to read the JAMA publication, and here to read an NPR article about the research.