Evolving Preventative Measures for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

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I’ve been hearing more and more about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy lately, both in the news and from suffering individuals seeking relief. CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head, such as often occur in the more violent professional sports like boxing or football. CTE can cause depression and violent behavior, amongst many other symptoms. It can be hard to determine the best way to approach these cases, but one thing is certain – prevention is key. While there is a public outcry to organizations such as the NFL to educate their players about the inherent risks of these sports and to make the game safer, those appear to be long-term goals. They are very important, but there are measures that could be taken, now, to help prevent CTE.

Some companies are taking advantage of an opportunity to make some commercial gains while also approaching a serious issue in an innovative way. I recently read an article by Michael Schottley on The Bleacher Report (see full article here) about a new kind of football helmet that has the potential to mitigate some of these traumas. There are quite a few companies making progress on similar helmet types, but this article focuses on MIPS, Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. To quote the author of a recent Popular Science profile of the same helmet, “The idea behind MIPS is simple: The plastic layer sits snugly on a player’s head beneath the padding. By allowing the head to float during an impact, MIPS can eliminate some of the rotational force before it makes its way to the brain.”

In essence, football (along with other professional sports) has evolved. The players are bigger, stronger, faster than they were when the game originated, and the risks have consequentially become greater. It only makes sense that the safety equipment should evolve as well. Newer and better helmets may only be a small part of the solution, but every little bit helps.