Two
hundred pounds of pure muscle colliding head to head, players accelerating to over
15 mph come to a complete halt upon impact. Professional football players
are prone to all types of injuries, not just physical, but mental as well. Some on
field injuries could send a player straight to the hospital, others may require a quick trip to the locker room to get their head straight. Because football is a such high-impact sport, concussions are inevitable. Though they may not seem like a big deal
to the strong, manly brutes on the field, multiple concussions can be
extremely harmful to your brain in the long run.
In the New
York Times article "For A Cowboys Star With Dementia, Time Is Running
Out" by Juliet Macur, Dallas Cowboys Star and Hall Of Famer, Rayfield
Wright, discusses his struggle with dementia due to the series of
concussions he had suffered while in the NFL. Macur states, "Studies
have repeatedly shown that N.F.L. players encounter dementia, Alzheimer's and
other neurological diseases with greater frequency than the general
population" (Macur). Like many retired NFL players, Wright's series
of concussions have taken their toll on his brain. He speaks of his daily struggles and
dangerous experiences, “Sometimes, I walk into the kitchen and forget why I
went there,” he said. “I’ve gotten into several car accidents because of
seizures. Totaled two cars. My memory is not good. There’s a big fight within
myself”(Macur). Wright’s brain damage
has altered the way he goes about his daily functions. Everything has become a
struggle for him, whether it is the constant headaches, forgetting his plans,
or venturing into an unstable plot of his imagination. Jeannette DeVader, Wright’s former girlfriend
and now caretaker, argues that Mr. Wright cannot be left alone. In addition to his inability to function
normally, he has tens of thousands of dollars worth of medical bills. Having his tough,football mentality, Wright hid his struggles from everyone, dealing with them on his own. But when Wright finally acknowledged his mental
complications, he wanted to know why.
Why was he not able to function like he used to? Why does he have
headaches all the time? Why has living
become a struggle for him? Recently, psychologists have diagnosed him with depression;
he refused to believe it. His irritability and unstableness can be attributed
to his brain damage.
In
Daniel Bor's The Ravenous Brain, Bor explains how candidates are
selected for basic neurological imaging experiments. The fMRI scanner is
a very powerful magnetic imaging device so all precautions are taken in account
for when determining the best brains to test. In order to have the most "normal"
brains to test with, eligible candidates must have no history of brain
implants, strokes, tumors, or any other neurological conditions, including
knockouts or concussions. Bor explains how even the slightest brain
injury like a sports concussion may hinder results. Concussions, though
minor, cause low-level brain damage. Ten to fifteen percent of concussion
victims, including those of have suffered multiple concussions; will experience
more severe brain damage, including long-term memory loss and compromised
concentration.
As
mentioned in the article, Wright’s daily routines have been compromised by the
struggle to focus and retain information.
How do repeated concussions impair the brain with such magnitude? In the midst of a concussion, or any heavy
impact to the head, the brain bounces back and fourth in the skull. As it brushes against the sides of the skull,
it may shear or tear at the jagged edges, damaging connective tissue and
neurons. fMRI scanners allow doctors to
see a decrease in brain activity in patients suffering a concussion. Monitoring these changes as a player
progresses is an important part of allowing the player to continue playing the
sport safely.
Bor,
Daniel. The Ravenous Brain: How the New Science of Consciousness
Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning. New York: Basic, 2012. Print.
Macur,
Juliet. "For a Cowboys Star With Dementia, Time Is Running
Out." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2014. Web.
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