Zamzam Mazen, Sinan Kenan, Mohilldean Hashem, Hasan Sazid, Saleh Ehab S
Orthopedic Surgery, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, USA.
Neurology, Wayne State School of Medicine, Detroit, USA.
Cureus. 2024 Jul 11;16(7):e64359. doi: 10.7759/cureus.64359. eCollection 2024 Jul.
The National Football League (NFL) is a highly popular sport in the United States, attracting numerous aspiring athletes due to its lucrative pay and fame. However, the pursuit of a career in the NFL comes with significant health risks, particularly concussions and their long-term effects. Repeated head traumas in the NFL can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by a spectrum ranging from cognitive and behavioral aberrations and has been linked to conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Despite growing evidence, NFL officials have historically downplayed the connection between concussions and CTE, attributing symptoms to other factors such as performance-enhancing drugs. To address the concussion crisis, the NFL has implemented rule changes and partnered with engineers to develop safer helmets. However, the most effective approach to combating CTE involves early detection through MRI brain scans, which are a potential method for identifying the disease in living patients and subsequently facilitating early intervention. While other contact sports such as boxing have been shown to increase the risk of traumatic brain injury as well as CTE, the impact the NFL has on CTE is the most prominent in today's society. This editorial emphasizes the need for the NFL to acknowledge the clear link between concussions and CTE and to invest in comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic strategies such as new monoclonal antibody therapies. Despite ethical and technical challenges, such as the use of embryonic stem cells and the risks associated with radioactive scans, advancing these methods could save lives and improve the long-term health outcomes of current and former NFL players. Enhanced understanding and proactive management of CTE are crucial for mitigating the severe impact of concussions in professional football.
美国国家橄榄球联盟（NFL）是美国一项广受欢迎的运动，因其丰厚的薪酬和声誉吸引了众多有抱负的运动员。然而，追求NFL职业生涯伴随着重大的健康风险，尤其是脑震荡及其长期影响。NFL中反复的头部创伤会导致慢性创伤性脑病（CTE），这是一种神经退行性疾病，其特征范围从认知和行为异常到帕金森病和阿尔茨海默病等病症。尽管证据越来越多，但NFL官员历来淡化脑震荡与CTE之间的联系，将症状归因于其他因素，如提高成绩的药物。为了解决脑震荡危机，NFL实施了规则变更，并与工程师合作开发更安全的头盔。然而，对抗CTE最有效的方法是通过MRI脑部扫描进行早期检测，这是一种在活体患者中识别该疾病并随后促进早期干预的潜在方法。虽然拳击等其他接触性运动也被证明会增加创伤性脑损伤以及CTE的风险，但NFL对CTE的影响在当今社会最为突出。这篇社论强调NFL需要承认脑震荡与CTE之间的明确联系，并投资于全面的诊断和治疗策略，如新的单克隆抗体疗法。尽管存在伦理和技术挑战，如使用胚胎干细胞和放射性扫描相关的风险，但推进这些方法可以挽救生命，并改善现役和退役NFL球员的长期健康状况。加强对CTE的理解和积极管理对于减轻职业橄榄球运动中脑震荡的严重影响至关重要。
