Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore.
Biomedical Global Institute of Healthcare Research & Technology (BIGHEART), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jan 17;16(2):254. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16020254.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was first discovered in professional boxers after they exhibited memory impairments, mood and behavioral changes after years of boxing. However, there is now a growing acceptance that CTE can develop in athletes of other sports due to the repetitive head trauma they receive. We present a case of a middle-aged male who presented with worsening memory, poor concentration, and behavioral changes for a year. On further cognitive testing, it was revealed that he had difficulties with short-term memory and processing speed as well as difficulties in organizing and multitasking. He had been practicing mixed martial arts (MMA) for 10 years, and later was an instructor of the sport. Through a detailed examination of his history, it was discovered that he sustained recurrent minor head concussions due to his line of work. To date, there has been limited large-scale research on head trauma in MMA. There is thus an urgent need for more studies in this area as CTE can be a chronic and debilitating illness with incapacitating neuropsychiatric sequelae. This case highlights the importance of public awareness of the risks of MMA and the dangers it poses to the brain, especially with more young people being attracted to this sport.
慢性创伤性脑病（CTE）最初是在职业拳击手身上发现的，这些拳击手在多年拳击后出现了记忆力减退、情绪和行为改变。然而，现在越来越多的人认为，由于运动员反复受到头部创伤，其他运动项目的运动员也可能患上 CTE。我们报告了一例中年男性患者，他在一年中出现记忆力下降、注意力不集中和行为改变。进一步的认知测试显示，他存在短期记忆和处理速度困难，以及组织和多任务处理困难。他已经练习综合格斗（MMA）10 年了，后来成为这项运动的教练。通过详细检查他的病史，发现他因工作原因反复出现轻微的头部脑震荡。迄今为止，针对 MMA 头部创伤的大规模研究还很有限。因此，需要在这方面进行更多的研究，因为 CTE 可能是一种慢性和使人衰弱的疾病，会导致神经精神后遗症。本病例强调了公众对 MMA 风险的认识的重要性，以及它对大脑的危害，特别是随着越来越多的年轻人被这项运动吸引。
