First NFL Brain Scan Study Released
The annual RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) meeting was held last week in Chicago. A new study based on live brain scans of professional football players was announced and discussed at one of their presentations. Here’s the news release that you’ll probably never see on the NFL’s website:
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Diagnostic Imaging
Advanced MRI reveals damage in brains of retired NFL football players
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The brains of 16 retired National Football League players with known cognitive impairment show signs of damaging atrophy, according to advanced MRI studies described Wednesday at the 2009 RSNA annual meeting.
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Songyuan Tang, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of North Carolina, presented case reports that represent the latest steps in research by collaborator Kevin Guskiewicz to study the relationship between football-related concussions and cognitive and behavioral problems that emerge long after the men’s playing days are over.
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Guskiewicz first drew interest to football-related concussions and dementia in 2005 with a study suggesting that a history of three or more concussions was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment by age 50. An autopsy study, published by a different group in 2005, found concentrations of tau protein suggesting dementia in the brains of eight of nine former football players.
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Read the rest of the article - click HERE.
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While this study is limited in size, it’s the first of many to come that should provide the basis for mounting evidence of the long-term effects of untreated brain concussions. As always, we continue to encourage ALL of you retired players out there to take advantage of the limited-time offer from the Amen Clinics for a free brain scan as part of their own study. Click HERE to read more about that limited-time offer and click HERE to go to their website for more information.
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Dave Pear
December 10th, 2009 at 7:23 pm #
Both in common law and in civil law, a “rebuttable presumption” is an assumption made by a court, one that is taken to be true unless someone comes forward to contest it and prove otherwise.
A rebuttable presumption is often associated with “prima facie” evidence (meaning on its first appearance).
A rebuttable presumption can be overturned only if the evidence contradicting it is true.
With ALL the facts and evidence linking head injuries to playing football, the NFL continues to contest these studies but they FAIL to prove otherwise!
The NFL doctors are either unqualified or are only able to say one word which is, “NO” (Dr. Ira Casson).
Click HERE.
However, Roger Goodell wrote that Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano, who have led the league committee on concussions since 2007, “have graciously offered to resign from those positions and to continue to assist the committee in its important work. We have accepted those resignations and are currently identifying their replacements.”
To say that these two so-called doctors “lead the league committee on concussions since 2007 and have graciously offered to resign” is outrageous!
The truth is they led a coverup on concussions and were forced to resign. If only Dr. NO was under oath when he answered questions about head injuries.
Another problem is that these NFL-paid doctors are still on the payroll, just like Frank Krauser is still on the payroll for the NFL Alumni (while overseeing an $800 donation to a retired player in dire need in 2005 when the NFL Alumni raised $3,700,000!) Roger Goodell continues to promote and reward these precarious and dubious rascals.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck and they all hang out in the same pond then the assumption is they’re all ducks (and in this case, lame ducks with lame excuses) unless they can prove otherwise.
Rep. Maxine Waters said it best in Washington DC on 10/28/09 while she was scolding Roger Goodell saying, “It is time to remove the antitrust protection” for the NFL.
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear
George Visger
December 10th, 2009 at 9:39 pm #
When Roger Goodell wrote that Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano, who have led the league committee on concussions since 2007, “have graciously offered to resign from those positions and to continue to assist the committee in its important work”, my first instinct was to ask to see this committee’s important work it has accomplished to date. As a survivor of 9 VP shunt brain surgeries which resulted from injuries sustained while playing for the 49ers in 80 and 81, it is about time we held these professionals accountable as we all are. When 17 of 18 brains of deceased NFL players as autopsied by Dr. Bennett Omalu all show major concentrations of tau proteins, while these so-called “Head Injury Experts for the NFL” have refuted each and every scientific paper submitted on the subject, am I smelling LIABILITY?
Or is that just the rat hole that Dr. No and his compatriot scurried down?
Though I have been diagnosed with damage to several lobes of my brain at a recent 3-day evaluation at Dr. Amen’s clinic, I still have enough cognitive function and values left in my cranium to know a violation of the Hippocratic Oath when I see it.
George Visger
San Francisco 49′ers
1980 & 1981
Irv Cross
December 12th, 2009 at 9:40 am #
Dave:
Thanks to you and your computer geniuses, you have kept all of us well informed! We as a group don’t have the PR muscle and access to the media as the NFL has but we are the biggest story in sports today. Here’s my suggestion: Call your local radio, TV and newspaper sportswriters and offer to give them an interview with a special emphasis on the concussion issue. Let them know of the research presented in Chicago and help them set up interviews with medical experts. Be available for feature stories – let’s educate the media. Our best spokesperson is Dr. Amen; however, a number of brain studies have also supported all of the claims we have experienced. I know we have a number of issues for retired players to resolve but I believe we can make greater headway on our own by pushing the brain concussion issues. No one can tell those stories better than us and it’s news!
We ARE the story, so the media has to talk to us. Make yourselves available. Focus on brain concussions, speak to the need to make the game safer, tell your experience with medical issues, tell the media why you played the game and what it means to you, talk about helping to preserve the game for future generations, tell why you gave all you had to the League, talk about the commitment football players make to their teams and front offices, tell the media why you believe the League has an obligation to care and support retired players who gave everything we had because we were loyal to our clubs and believed management shared that same sense of loyalty to its players. How many times were you told by your coaches and owners that your organization was one big family? I believed that, didn’t you? Families take care of one another. Guys and gals – get on the phone now! Call your local sports media and tell them about your presonal experiences. Headline your story with brain studies, medical issues, our concern about the safety and survival of the game and your personal relationship with your club. That big family who loved you when you played but today refuses to acknowledge the injuries suffered in the NFL .
We do not need the NFL or the NFLPA to tell these stories; they belong to each and everyone of us. Call your local media – tell them the stories only you know! Folks, we have the strongest PR force there is… we ARE the story. Call your media outlets today with special emphasis on brain concussions and how you managed them.
Dave and all of your IT all-stars, thanks for delivering the facts!
Get on the phone! Call your local media and spread the word!
Thanks to Dr. Amen my brain is improving! Guys, please do not pass up this opportunity to have your free brain scan. The more data we can collect, the stronger our case. Who knows – if your story is good enough it could make the wire services and even the New York Times might run it!
Irv Cross
1961 – 1969
Philadelphia Eagles & LA Rams
Bob Grant
December 13th, 2009 at 3:41 pm #
Irv,
Great points. You are a respected man in our ranks and I hope that you’ll write some actual posts here on the blog soon. What we really need is for our men to see more of our greats, like you, join us here at DavePear.com.
I know that you must have a “Dorian Grey” picture in your attic because you look younger and younger all of the time! That said, I’m sure that you, like all of the rest of us, saw some of your football history on your scan from ‘Amen’.
You must be 37 or 38 years old now which would make me about 34. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Who would ever have thought that we would find ourselves “Seniors Of The Game” still fighting for the crumbs that we can grab?
We’re going to have to FIGHT for what is right from the NFLPA and the NFL, Irv. These guys will continue to “Play us with diplomatic mumbo-jumbo” and conduct study after study waiting for all of us to die. We need your muscle, Brother.
Don’t worry about being nice etc. just come on out and help us present the raw truth. What have we got to lose?
We need your muscle and regular participation in this fight.
Bob Grant
Independent Retired Player Activist-Advocate
Bob
Anon
December 19th, 2009 at 1:34 pm #
Guess this means those millions should be invested in some awesome health insurance policies.
Darryl Silakiewicz
December 19th, 2009 at 8:36 pm #
I recently watched an episode of the 5th estate from Canada which talked about head injuries not only in the CFL, but talked about wrestler Chris Benoit. I found it to be very interesting. Should be able to Google it if interested.
Darryl Silakiewicz
RobertinSeattle
December 20th, 2009 at 9:58 am #
Darryl -
Thanks for letting us know about that Fifth Estate story. It was appropriately titled Head Games and ran in November. Here’s the link:
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/head_games/video.html
We’ll also post the link under the Concussions tab.