Friday, October 17, 2014

Dallas Star to Dementia Patient



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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