A few days ago, I released a video blog in response to the new study commissioned by the NFL, which found that football players have a significantly higher chance of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related disorders. (You can view the video blog here: http://www.amenclinics.com/blog/1956/dr-amen-on-the-nfl-dementia-debate/)
This study marks the first time the NFL has publicly recognized that playing football may be connected to increased risk for cognitive impairment.
The impact of this study is enormous. The New York Times reports that the debate over the link between football and dementia is heading to Congress. The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Representative John Conyers Jr., a Democrat from Michigan, announced that the committee plans to hold hearings to discuss the impact of brain trauma experienced by football players. The hearings will include ways to limit head injuries and ways to compensate affected players
I was thrilled to read this as well as the fact that the committee plans to extend the conversation to include high school and college football players.
This is such a critical national discussion and brain health will be front and center as it should be. Your brain is involved in everything you do and when your brain works right, you work right, when your brain is troubled you have significant trouble in your life … from every angle.
We hope to be able to share the results of our brain imaging study on retired NFL players study if asked. Keep checking this blog for more information on the study.
In the meantime, protect your brain.
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I am wondering about the same problem for soccer players who head butt soccer balls kicked from across the field? Are they also going to faace the same consequences of brain damage? Is there any information you can give me to support using head gear to protect soccer players?
Has anyone just finished the new article “A Response to My Video Blog on the NFL Study”?
The responding doctor, who runs addiction treatment programs, comments about damage to the temporal lobe causing deja vu, anxiety & depression. I can vouch for this and the seizures often caused by brain injury as I suffer from these conditions myself as a result of amalignant glioblastoma grade 4 extending to the temporal lobe area. The tumor, slice’n'dice surgery and radiation therapy are the cause of these conditions and other cognitive, ’slow processing’ and partial hearing & vision loss. (Thankfully against all odds I survived the terminal cancer oncologists thought would kill me in 6 mo. to a year). Parents, kids, teens and other adults, PLEASE protect your brains (‘Life Program software’)from injury. I didn’t get a choice in the matter – but you do, every second of every day to avoid disabling your software.
PS: If you are in need, there are many head injury associations & brain tumor support groups available worldwide, as well as addictions counselling. Go to the internet.
PPS: I am still alive almost 15 years after my treatment.
I am a survivor of 9 brain surgeries (to date and counting), due to developing hydrocephalus my second season with the SF 49ers in 1981 (Super Bowl). I have battled repeated shunt revisions and surgeries, grand mal seizures, short term memory problems and anger management issues for the last 28 years (in addition to constantly battling the 49ers and their Workers Comp carrier, The Travelers, for anything related to my case), and am extremely enthused to finally see this neglected aspect of the NFL finally brought to light. I am scheduled for a full evaluation by Dr. Amen on 10/19 & 10/20 and look forward to having data collected, to not only help me gain control of my life, but hopefully help prevent others from traveling down the path I have been on for the last 28 years. Keep up the good work Dr. and I’ll see you next week.
George Visger
SF 49ers 80 & 81
Dear Dr. Amen,
I saw your show today (I’ve seen you before and I like your programs). In it, you were talking about the very first couple you did brain scans on. During the whole story you said, jokingly, I think, that because you were extremely catholic you wouldn’t advise the couple to get divorced. I was just wondering if you were just trying to make a point or if you truly think that people shouldn’t get divorce just because of religious reasons. I’d think there might better reasons than to keep god happy. How about because the couple loves each other, but they just don’t know how to get along or something of the sort. I have another questions, have you ever wonder about the claim some people make that God and religion are on the brain?
Thanks,
Eliza.