The NFL and Concussions: Ethics and Technology

By Angelo Butera

History

What’s the issue?

• NFL players sustain multiple blows to the head every game, and some of these are suspected to be causing concussions.

• Repeated concussions can lead to permanent brain damage.

• What is the NFL doing to help protect their players?

Suicides & CTE• Junior Seau & John Grimsley committed suicide and

donated their brains to science• Signs of chronic traumatic encephalophathy (CTE) were

found in their brains• CTE causes depression, psychotic symptoms, erratic

behavior, dementia, symptoms consistant with Parkinson’s• Difficult to detect, must perform brain biopsy/post-

mortem• Many football players believed to have died from

Alzheimer's in the past, was it possibly CTE?

John Grimsley’s Brain, Post-Mortem

Left: 65 year old brain Right: John’s brain

NFL Culture

• Football is by definition a contact sport• Big hits get the crowd excited• Players are encouraged to “play through the

pain”• New Orleans Saints “Bountygate”• Team doctors “overlooking” concussions

What is being done: Technology

• New helmets have sensors to detect hits and relay information to medical professionals

• Strategically placed “shock absorbers” absorb some of the impact

• Added padding taken from military equipment• Facemask attach to the sides rather than

forehead with latches

What is being done: Rules

• Saints players suspended• Kickoffs moved up, so more touchbacks• Independent doctors test for concussions• Any loss of consciousness means a player cannot

return• Rules against hitting “defenseless players”• Fines in the tens of thousands for hits to the head

Future

• Better helmets lead to less concussions/damage

• Better understanding of head injuries benefits medical community

• Knowing what causes CET possibly means advances in treating Alzheimers, dementia, Parkinsons

• Helmet technology used by military.

References• Collins M, Lovell MR, Iverson GL, Ide T, Maroon J. Examining concussion rates and return to play in high

school football players wearing newer helmet technology: a three-year prospective cohort study. Neurosurgery. 2006;58:275–286. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16462481

• Levy ML, Ozgur BM, Berry C, Aryan HE, Apuzzo ML. Analysis and evolution of head injury in football. Neurosurgery. 2004 Sep; 55(3):649-55. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15335432

• Corbett, Jim. "Warren Moon Promotes New Helmet in Fight against Concussions." USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. <http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/05/warren-moon-promotes-new-helmet-in-fight-against-concussions/1>.

• Andrew Brandt. "The NFL's Concussion conundrum." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8513300/the-issue-concussions-nfl-not-going-away>.

• Jackson, Derrick. "Ringing the Bell About Concussions." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 20 Oct. 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/10/19/ringing-bell-about-concussions/vysn4znVTF7gt1hcxV86JM/story.html>.

• HITS Technology. Riddell, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://www.riddell.com/innovation/hits-technology/>.• " Football, war raise specter of new brain injuries" The Why Files. N.p., 30 Sept. 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

<http://whyfiles.org/2010/traumatic-brain-injury/>.• "Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy." Boston University, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.bu.edu/cste/>.