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CTE Awareness

Contact Name:

Jonathan Ben-Senior

Organization:

CTE Awareness

Phone:

770-310-1582

Email:

Jonathanbensenior1130@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Imagine the glaring eyes of expectation from your coaches and teammates as you plunge your body towards your opponent. As your head collides with their body, you crash to the floor, disoriented and unable to get back up. The ringing in your head grows deafening as your vision blurs, and the sinking realization sets in—you’ve let everyone down. You suffered concussions before but nothing compared to this, you knew if it ever happened again it would be the breaking point. This story emulates the journey of Cameron Adamson who took his own life due to the constant concussions he suffered in his high school wrestling team. This is one of the numerous heartbreaking stories that remain largely unaddressed in discussions regarding Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). As a group of committed high school students we aim to solve this problem by educating and addressing the community about this ongoing issue.Throughout our high-school journey we have seen the detrimental effects of concussions on our fellow classmates. We have seen students struggle in the classroom because of memory issues, headaches, and concentration problems. We have seen the emotional toll they have to carry within themselves due to the fear of them falling short and not meeting expectations. We have seen the lack of awareness about CTE and how injuries can be overlooked leading to severe problems in the near future.

Sports have the power to instill discipline, passion, drive, and create connections all the while creating a sense of pride and unity within a nation. Lamentably, sports come with its own challenges and implications. Recently, there has been a notable surge in repetitive head injuries especially in contact sports such as football, soccer, lacrosse, boxing, and even certain physically demanding workplaces like construction or the army. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive concussions and/or traumatic brain injuries. Over time, these injuries result in the build up of toxic proteins commonly identified as tau proteins. Furthermore, these devastating proteins clump together and misfold forming tangles in your brain disrupting the normal functioning of the brain progressively killing neurons in the brain which impairs the brain’s ability to transport proteins, communicate, and maintain structure. You can think of this as
clogged pipes in your brain. Not only that, but also these proteins damage the protective layer of the brain classified as blood brain border (BBB) and eventually spread to other areas of the brain impairing different cognitive abilities. Moreover, the buildup of these proteins can lead to various symptoms, the most significant include memory loss, anxiety, depression, behavior changes, and cognitive impairment. These devastating symptoms can range from severity and are
signs you may have CTE, but as of right now, a definitive diagnosis is only possible through postmortem neuropathological analysis or in short, brain tissue analysis after a person’s death. This analysis can be performed by specialized doctors through the use of special biomarkers that reveal the presence of abnormal tau protein within brain tissue. In most cases, people diagnosed with CTE are athletes who have experienced one or more concussion on a concussive or
subconcussive level although 20% of the people have never been impacted by a concussion in their life. To sum up, while sports can have a profound impact on an individual and foster growth, it is imperative to recognize the devastating results of repetitive head injuries. Taking protective measures to ensure safety within sports can tremendously help prevent diseases such as CTE all the while ensuring the transformative power of sports is not overshadowed by the long-term health risks.

According to a scientific study conducted by Theodore B. VanItallie, a researcher from ScienceDirect, “…CTE can occur after a single moderate or severe TBI which, for reasons that remain to be clarified, progresses gradually to dementia” (VanItallie, 2019). Dementia, a group of diseases characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline, is a severe symptom and effect of CTE. Similarly, symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and erratic behavior changes can stem from CTE. Because there is no explicit way to prevent CTE, people must take precautions to
prevent the symptoms associated with it. In order to minimize the risk of CTE, you must make sure that you properly treat symptoms such as depression and anxiety beforehand. Managing these symptoms include taking proper medications, attending therapy sessions, and having a strong support group. One effective way to lower the risk of CTE and prevent symptoms such as dementia is to take precautions such as staying mentally active. According to a study conducted by Jenna Najar et al., researchers from the National Library of Medicine, “Our findings suggest that midlife cognitive and physical activities are independently associated with reduced risk of dementia and dementia subtypes.” This reveals that a method to prevent symptoms associated with CTE, such as dementia, is to have high cognitive engagement. This one activity can delay dementia onset by several years. Additionally, getting help early on for conditions that lead to
CTE or CTE symptoms is proven to have extremely beneficial impacts. Early prevention can slow disease progression, allow people to adopt protective measures, improve quality of life, preserve brain health, and lead to an overall optimistic outlook on life. With the right treatment, people with CTE can manage their symptoms and live fulfilling lives. All in all, while preventing head injuries remains the most effective strategy, treating the symptoms promptly can yield
positive outcomes in the long run.

For our CTE awareness campaign, we launched an ambitious effort to educate communities about the potential risks of CTE and its impact on long-term health, especially among athletes. We focused on outreach to schools and sports organizations, collaborating with groups like the Harvard Football Player Health Study to provide credible, research-backed information. By reaching over 22,000 people through presentations, social media campaigns, and
partnerships with local football teams, we created a widespread dialogue about the importance of brain health and protective measures in contact sports. Our campaign emphasized proactive education to drive meaningful change in how people approach athletic safety and health. Furthermore, our mission is to educate people about the severity of CTE, research its prevalence in present-day society, and establish effective safety measures. By raising awareness and providing knowledge, we aim to give a generation the chance to make smart decisions and
prevent as many potential CTE cases as possible. Whether through our interactive, hands-on activities during our middle school visits, or engaging talks with our school’s sport programs, we are committed to teaching young athletes about the dangers of repeated concussions. We aim to do this by sharing stories of previous players, we can show the younger generation why prioritizing their health is undeniably necessary. We even conducted interviews with players at our schools, hearing their views on the current safety measures in place. Many students talked
about experiencing a scary head hit, causing them to fear not only playing their competitive sport again but playing sports in general. These exchanges inspired us to take charge, ensuring any aspiring student athletes will take those measures and hopefully prevent a potential devastating injury.

To conclude, the life-threatening disease that is CTE is deserving of more awareness regarding the dangers it brings to numerous victims. In acknowledging this need, our campaign carries the goal of shedding light on the largely ignored but clearly hazardous risks of the condition. The process by which we hope to accomplish this consists of spreading knowledge and educating communities, by sharing stories and creating connections. Together, we can honor those who have suffered through this devastating condition, like Cameron Adamson, but by
sharing their stories we can also pave the way for a brighter, safer future, and inspire change for the next generation. By taking safer measures, raising awareness about the effects, and understanding the reality of CTE we can give every athlete the opportunity to live a fulfilling life beyond the game.

 

 

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Jonathan Ben-Senior
CTE Awareness | https://hoochcteawareness.weebly.com/
770-310-1582 | Jonathanbensenior1130@gmail.com

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