Seven facts about brain injuries
Playing through pain is widely seen as a good quality for an athlete to have. However, studies have shown that this can have consequences for one's health. NFL players have been known to die from the effects of CTE.
The NFL's first CTE diagnosis
"Iron Mike" Webster won four Super Bowls as a center for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. However, after his career ended, the many hits to the head that he had received as a football player took their toll on his health. He died in 2002 at the age of just 50. After his death, Webster was diagnosed as having had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease.
A Hollywood film
Bennet Omalu, a forensic neuropathologist (pictured above, second from left) was the first to diagnose CTE in Webster and other former NFL players. He continued his research despite widespread and strong resistance to his findings. In 2015 director Peter Landesmann (above, right) directed the film "Concussion," in which actor Will Smith (left) played Omalu.
Gradual changes to the brain
Symptoms such as loss of speech, depression and dementia, which can be an indication of CTE, were first observed in boxers decades ago. Repeated blows to the head release the tau protein which accumulates in the brain. Those affected can experience changes to their personality, problems with aggression and even become susceptible to thoughts of suicide.
Suicide and a final wish
Between 2008 and 2015 Terry Long, Tom McHale, Jovan Belcher, Adrian Robinson and Junior Seau were among the former NFL players who committed suicide. In 2011, Dave Duerson, a former safety, shot himself through the heart instead of in the head. In his suicide note he asked that his brain be examined to see if he had CTE. Doctors found clear signs that he had had the disease.
The biggest stage
Head injuries occur in soccer as well. In the final of the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, German midfielder Christoph Kramer was knocked out. He soldiered on for 14 minutes after the injury, which was a big risk, because a second hit shortly afterwards increases the danger of long-term damage. Even now, there is no universally agreed procedure for diagnosing brain injuries on the sidelines.
Risk varies by position
Brain injuries in soccer tend to occur when two players clash heads when going for ball or as the result of an elbow to the head. A recent study by the Federal Institute of Sports Sciences has found that the risk of head injury in soccer varies according to a player's position. Defenders are most at risk, followed by midfielders and strikers. The risk is by far the lowest for goalkeepers.
Which is the worst sport for concussions?
A study conducted by the Federal Institute for Sports Sciences, showed that rugby players are at the highest risk among athletes of suffering concussion. They are followed by American football players, ice hockey players and basketball players. Brain injuries are not as common in soccer, but in Germany, where it is the biggest sport, in absolute terms, it is where the most concussions occur.