Football Fallout. Years in the NFL may prime players for dementia

摘要

Football is a contact sport, and for many players, that contact ends up being head to head. A growing number of retired players are turning up with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a form of dementia that can lead to Alzheimer's, and a study has revealed how likely the risk is. Surveying 513 retired NFL players, scientists found that 35% scored poorly enough on a test for Alzheimer's symptoms to indicate dementia. When a random sample of 41 of those low-scoring players was studied more closely, their scores on other cognitive tests indicated that their brain functions were closer to those of patients diagnosed with MCI than to those of healthy people. Not everyone with MCI goes on to develop Alzheimer's, but the condition is no picnic no matter what-with symptoms including memory loss, confusion and difficulty concentrating.