Given the enormous attention to sports-related concussions and the long-term implications of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) for professional athletes, it should not come as a surprise that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a brain injury study. What has come as a surprise, however, are allegations that the NFL “improperly attempted to influence the grant review process” for that study, according to a recent report from NFL.com. The allegations came through a report issued by New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone following concerns about bias.

Do the recent allegations suggest that certain studies may not be providing accurate information about the dangers of NFL concussions and rates of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among ex-football players? To better understand the implications of Pallone’s report, we should take a closer look at the specific allegations levied against the NFL.

Details of the Congressional Report What are all of the allegations contained within the congressional report? According to a recent article from ESPN.com, the report is 91 pages in length, and it “describes how the NFL pressured the National Institutes of Health to strip the $16 million project [a brain injury study] from a prominent Boston University researcher and tried to redirect the money to members of the league’s committee on brain injuries.” In 2012, the NFL provided an “unrestricted gift” of $30 million for this study, but the congressional report suggests that the NFL has interfered unfairly with its use.

Specifically, the report alleges that the “NFL’s actions violated policies that prohibit private donors from interfering in the NIH peer-review process,” and that the NFL’s recent behavior was in line with “a long-standing pattern of attempts by the league to shape concussion research for its own purposes,” according to ESPN.com. The report is the product of an investigation that began back in December 2015 following a report from Outside the Lines about the NFL’s backpedaling from the NIH study. The primary goal of the study was to find a way to detect CTE in living patients, providing hope for treatment.

According to Pallone’s language in the report, “our investigation has shown that, while the NFL had been publicly proclaiming its role as funder and accelerator of important research, it was privately attempting to influence that research.” Without the NFL’s financial involvement in the study, taxpayers may have to bear the burden of funding the important research.

Taxpayer Burdens and Brain Injury Research Funding As the NFL.com report explains, the NFL has not attempted to redirect or pull all of the $30 million initially allocated for brain injury research. Since the gift in 2012, about $12 million has already been earmarked for pathology studies on CTE. Given that the disease can only currently be diagnosed postmortem, much research has focused on studying the brains of former, deceased NFL players who exhibited symptoms of CTE during their lifetimes.

However, the congressional report focuses on $16 million of that NFL gift that the league allegedly has attempted to redirect. It is extremely important, Pallone articulates, to uphold the integrity of scientific research conducted through the NIH. According to ESPN.com, Pallone hopes that the congressional report will urge the NFL to change the way it approaches brain injury studies and to commit to an ethics of research funding.

In the meantime, if you or someone you love sustained sports-related concussions and have symptoms of CTE, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. An experienced brain injury lawyer in San Diego can assist with your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

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How is the NFL handling increasing pressure to take preventive measures when it comes to sports-related concussions that occur with surprising frequency in professional football? According to a recent article from CNBC, the NFL “believes one of the best ways to ensure the longevity of its sports—as well as all sports—is to make sure athletes are equipped with the latest and most advanced technologies to prevent traumatic brain injuries.” In other words, the NFL’s answer to sports safety advocates is that we need more science and better technological innovations to keep players from sustaining life-threatening head trauma. The answer to concussion concerns, the league suggests, is not an end to the game of football.

New Technology and the Head Health Challenge Last year the NFL along with GE and Under Armour sponsored a “Head Health Challenge,” which gave researchers an opportunity to “invent ways to improve safety in sports by helping to prevent head injuries.” This year the NFL partnered with GE and Under Armour for the second year of competition. According to Jeff Miller, the NFL Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Policy, the Head Health Challenge II emphasizes the league’s commitment to keeping players on the field safely by applying new technologies and scientific innovations to head-injury prevention.

The competition, as the article points out, is one portion of the Head Health Initiative—a $60 million plan that was initiated in 2013 by both the NFL and its partner, GE, to “advance diagnosis and treatment of concussions.” Researchers who have invested time and energy into the project contend that it is not only about football-related concussions, or sports-related head traumas altogether. GE’s director of community and government strategy contended that the Head Health Initiative may be able to help us understand the relationship between traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and degenerative conditions such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Focus on Science with Release of Concussion Film As CNBC notes, the NFL’s continued emphasis on scientific innovation with regard to TBI prevention coincides with the release of the film Concussion. The film traces the medical discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its link to sports-related concussions. NFL officials have indicated that the film will serve to raise more awareness about head injuries in football, which will hopefully result in continued scientific research into injury prevention methods.

As researchers continue to make new discoveries about the long-term risks of concussions, players and their families will be in a better and more informed position about whether or not they are willing to take those risks by participating in the sport.

Examples of new technologies developed through the Head Health Initiative that could help to limit concussions include but are not limited to:

• New helmets that “protect against fractures and concussions”;
• Protective turf underlayers; and
• Rate-dependent tethers that prevent the head from “snapping or whipping when a high-speed, high-force event occurs.”

In the meantime, athletes continue to be at risk of serious TBIs and long-term health risks as a result of multiple concussions. If you or someone you love suffered concussions while playing football, you should discuss your case with an experienced San Diego brain injury attorney. Do not hesitate to contact the Walton Law Firm to find out more about how we can help you.

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Over the last five years or so, new research on sports-related concussions and the long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) has yielded startling results. According to a recent article from CNN News, a team of researchers just reported findings that may suggest chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) occurs more often than we previously suspected. As a brief reminder, CTE is a degenerative brain condition that can ultimately produce debilitating and life-altering effects.

Majority of Former NFL Players Suffered from Degenerative Condition

The new study concluded that 87 out of 91 former NFL players studied—96% of all former players examined—suffered from the degenerative brain condition known as CTE. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed with certainty after death. As such, the recent research focused on the brain of 91 former NFL players who had donated their brains to science for the purpose of learning more about the long-term effects of head trauma on athletes.

CTE is linked most notably to “repeated head trauma and multiple concussions,” according to the researchers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University. Scientists do not yet know why some players develop CTE and others do not. Not all NFL players who sustain multiple hits to the head during the course of their careers will suffer from this debilitating condition, yet the recent findings suggest that a majority of players may have to contend with this destructive condition.

While researchers feel relatively certain that you will not develop this condition unless you have a history of repetitive trauma to the brain, the new data suggests that CTE may be more common than athletes have previously believed. CTE is not a condition that develops among only a very small percentage of athletes who engaged in contact sports. Rather, the fact that 96% of the former NFL players studied suffered from this disease intimates that a majority of former players may in fact be at serious risk of developing the degenerative ailment.

Determining Risk for CTE

The researchers hope to emphasize that CTE does not strictly affect athletes. Dr. Robert Cantu, one of the scientists who studied the recent data, highlighted that “there are a number of cases in people who never saw an athletic field.” Examples of other persons in whom CTE has been discovered include but are not limited to the following:

• Former members of the military;
• Persons with seizure disorders or those who have suffered seizures;
• Autistic children who have banged their heads repeatedly;
• Victims of physical abuse; and
• Stunt professionals.

The recent findings first were reported by the television documentary series “Frontline,” and they are now available, along with relevant data, on the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s website.

Contact sports can be particularly hazardous given the rate at which concussions occur on the field. If you or a loved one sustained multiple concussions and have developed early symptoms of CTE, it is important to learn more about your options for seeking compensation. A dedicated San Diego brain injury lawyer can answer your questions today. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about the services we provide for plaintiffs with brain injuries and other sports-related trauma.

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