Head Injury, Concussion and Dementia - The Deadly Triad

Abstract

The link between head injury and Alzheimer's disease is a contentious and evolving topic of debate. With the recent death from dementia of several former members of England's 1966 Football World Cup winning team, there is an increasing focus on the long-term consequences of sports related head injury. Much of the emphasis has been on the impact of concussion on the health and welfare of athletes. This article will explore the effect of mild to severe traumatic brain injury and its connection with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The latter was diagnosed in more than a hundred former National Football League (NFL) players. We will scrutinize current literature from dementia studies that has suggested racial and ethnic differences in the trends in dementia prevalence. More funding is required to support further research into the link between Alzheimer's disease and sports participation with the goal of prevention.