What a Lifetime of Playing football can do to the human brain.

What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)?

• A type of muscle injury common in football players

• A degenerative brain condition believed to be caused by repeated hits to the head

• A heart condition caused by excessive physical activity

• A temporary concussion that heals quickly

When was the first former NFL player diagnosed with CTE?

• In the 1980s

• In the 1990s

• In the early 2000s

• In the 2010s

What has recent research suggested about youth football?

• It has no impact on brain health

• It may be a risk factor for CTE later in life

• It improves cognitive abilities

• It is safer than other sports

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How many former NFL players have received a postmortem diagnosis of CTE?

• Less than 50

• More than 100

• Exactly 75

• None

Despite the risks, what event will millions of people watch and enjoy this weekend?

• The World Series

• The Super Bowl

• The NBA Finals

• The Stanley Cup

What protein accumulates in the brain as a result of CTE?

• alpha-synuclein
• tau

• prion protein
• beta-amyloid

What is a concussion?

• A type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull

• A fracture in the skull

• A permanent loss of brain function

• A mild headache that goes away after a few hours

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 How can CTE currently be diagnosed?

• CTE can only be diagnosed through blood tests.
• CTE is diagnosed through an autopsy which is performed after death

• CTE is diagnosed using MRI scans during a patient's lifetime.
• CTE is identified by observing symptoms without any medical evaluation.

Which detail proves that the majority of NFL have CTE?

Of the 202 brains, 177, or nearly 90 percent, were diagnosed with CTE. And there was a pattern: Those who had played football longer were more likely to have worse brain damage. Among the former NFL players in the sample, 99 percent had CTE. This suggests the effects of brain trauma on CTE are cumulative. The more trauma over a longer period, the worse the symptoms.

• Of the 202 brains, 177, or nearly 90 percent, were diagnosed with CTE. And there was a pattern

• Those who had played football longer were more likely to have worse brain damage.

• Among the former NFL players in the sample, 99 percent had CTE.

• The more trauma over a longer period, the worse the symptoms.

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What is the central idea of this paragraph?

A 2015 study found that former NFL players who began football before age 12 fared worse on cognitive assessments than those who started later in their teens. And this held true even controlling for number of years played

• NFL players, who started before age 12, demonstrate no loss in their intelligence

• NFL players, who started playing football before age 12, demonstrated a loss in intelligence.

• If you start playing at a younger age, you will become disabled.

• This study shows that playing foot ball at a young age leads to an increase in intelligence.

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