The NFL and Concussions: Ethics and Technology

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The NFL and Concussions Ethics and Technology

• By Angelo Butera

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History
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Whats 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?

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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 Parkinsons
• 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?

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John Grimsleys Brain, Post-Mortem
Left 65 year old brain Right Johns brain
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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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. 200658275286.
  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. lthttp//content.usatoday.co
  m/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/05/warren-moon-p
  romotes-new-helmet-in-fight-against-concussions/1gt
  .
• Andrew Brandt. "The NFL's Concussion conundrum."
  ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 17 Oct. 2012. Web.
  11 Nov. 2012. lthttp//espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8
  513300/the-issue-concussions-nfl-not-going-awaygt.
• Jackson, Derrick. "Ringing the Bell About
  Concussions." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 20 Oct.
  2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lthttp//www.bostonglobe.co
  m/opinion/2012/10/19/ringing-bell-about-concussion
  s/vysn4znVTF7gt1hcxV86JM/story.htmlgt.
• HITS Technology. Riddell, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.
  lthttp//www.riddell.com/innovation/hits-technology
  /gt.
• " Football, war raise specter of new brain
  injuries" The Why Files. N.p., 30 Sept. 2012.
  Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lthttp//whyfiles.org/2010/trauma
  tic-brain-injury/gt.
• "Center for the Study of Traumatic
  Encephalopathy." Boston University, n.d. Web. 2
  Nov. 2012. lthttp//www.bu.edu/cste/gt.