A new study estimated that about 75% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease tied to sport’s violent collisions on the field.
Boston University researchers said they identified the disease after examining 2,362 brains of deceased NFL players, including 396 who donated their brains to the study and 1,966 from National Death Index records of athletes who did not.
The neurodegenerative condition can only be detected after death, and it ranges in severity from stages I through IV.
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“Many cases may have been early stage at the time of death and possibly symptom free,” the study said.
Some of the researchers involved in this study also published a paper in August that estimated a quarter of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE.
Lead author Julia Gallini told ESPN in a statement that the study’s findings are “concerning” and more needs to be done to “support families, diagnose CTE during life, and treat CTE-related symptoms.”
The NFL said it “continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts.
“We encourage former players to utilize these resources to identify and seek treatment when they are concerned about their health,” the statement said.
Researchers said they are still looking to see how widespread CTE is at more amateur levels of the game, such as with collegiate, high school and youth football players.
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