News on U.S. government agencies, U.S. politics, companies doing business with U.S. federal government. Read U.S. national and local news. This site is not affiliated with United States Government.
(EMAILWIRE.COM, March 08, 2011 ) CHICAGO, IL - LegalView, a leading on-line legal resource, has updated its traumatic brain injury portal regarding an ex-NFL player who donated his brain after his death.
Last year's football season was dominated by worries of concussions and other head injuries that could lead to brain injuries, but the season ended on a high note when Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, shook off two regular season concussions to win the Super Bowl MVP honors. However, after the bright lights of the stadium go down, the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury, or or TBI, become apparent.
Dave Duerson played 11 seasons as a safety for the Chicago Bears and New York Giants. Being a safety meant that Duerson got hit a lot, and last week he, sadly, committed suicide, pushing the worries of the long-term effects of repeated blows to the head back into the spotlight.Before he died, Duerson sent text messages to his family letting them know that he wanted his brain donated to Boston University researchers to study the long-term neurological consequences of playing in the National Football League.
Family members said that this is just the sort of thing that Duerson would do. They described him as a devoted father of four who spent countless hours with the football players union, where he became familiar with other retired players who were experiencing physical and metal decline. Duerson, himself, had been finding it difficult to remember names and put words together.
At Boston University, Duerson's brain will be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative condition caused by repeated blows to the head which NFL players are at higher risk. Christopher Nowinski, the center's co-director says that he has seen CTE in 13 of the 14 brains of NFL-players he has studied. As with other brains, the scientists will be looking for the tau protein which provides a sign of CTE. If the wrinkly surfaces of the brain were a mountain range, those with CTE would have the highest levels of tau in the valleys, said Nowinski.
Recently, the NFL donated $1 million to the Boston University center, and it has changed its rules to make it more difficult for concussed players to re-enter a game. Also, it has encouraged the use of new and safer helmets.
Over 1.4 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury every year, and of those, 50,000 die and over 200,000 need hospitalization or brain injury treatment. Many experience altered or loss of functional ability.
LegalView is an online resource for individuals and their families'. LegalView can help those suffering from a traumatic brain injury find a potential brain injury lawyer by visiting http://www.legalview.info/.
About LegalView:
LegalView is a public service brought to you by Legal WebTV Network, LLC, a Limited Liability Corporation created by a group of the nation's most highly respected law firms: Anapol Schwartz; Cohen, Placitella and Roth; James F. Humphreys and Associates; and Lopez McHugh. For more information on the accomplishments and track records of LegalView's superior sponsoring law firms and to get in touch with LegalView attorneys, visit LegalView at www.Legalview.info.
We are pleased to offer you this exciting, new, and entirely free professional resource. Visit our Free Industry resource center today to browse our selection of 600+ complimentary Industry magazines, white papers, webinars, podcasts, and more. Get popular titles including:
