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Former NFL player had brain damage, NIH says
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Researchers from the NIH reported abnormalities consistent with degenerative brain disease in former National Football League linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide last year.
“The type of findings seen in Mr. Seau’s brain have been recently reported in autopsies of individuals with exposure to repetitive head injury, including professional and amateur athletes who played contact sports, individuals with multiple concussions, and veterans exposed to blast injury and other trauma,” the NIH said in a statement.
In July, Seau’s family donated his brain to the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Preliminary examinations revealed no irregularity, according to the NIH, but upon further inspection, neuropathologists found abnormal neurofibrillary tangles of the protein tau located in multiple regions of Seau’s brain, indicating chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
In a statement online, the NFL said: “We appreciate the Seau family’s cooperation with the [NIH]. The finding underscores the recognized need for additional research to accelerate a fuller understanding of CTE. The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, [CDC] and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels.”
In two recent studies, researchers reported that retired NFL players may be at higher risk for depression.
“The high incidence of depression in aging athletes highlights the need to thoroughly assess depressive symptoms throughout the lifespan,” study researcher Nyaz Didehbani, PhD, of the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas, told Psychiatric Annals. “It is also imperative to carefully assess symptoms of depression following a head injury, especially those associated with negative feelings about themselves (ie, pessimism, feelings of guilt, self-dislike) and somatic symptoms (ie, loss of energy, change in sleep and appetite). Depression is a treatable condition if the proper and necessary steps are taken.”
Perspective
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Holly Wilcox, PhD
On Jan. 10, The New York Times published an article by Mary Pilon and Ken Belson, which implied a causal link between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and suicide, but the current research does not confirm such a causal link. There are multiple factors that might contribute to the decision to die by suicide, including untreated depression, loss of identity, social supports and medical care/benefits. The lifestyle of a professional football player is highly regimented, and losing one’s status can be associated with grief, ostracism, stress, depression, and anger. Although CTE can influence decision making, these other factors, along with financial and domestic situations, can contribute as well. The New York Times article could send the wrong message to players by increasing hopelessness and discouraging players to seek treatment. Further research is needed with larger samples and quality standards.
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