Football Player's Written Remark Resurfaces Discussions on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
In the aftermath of a tragic mass shooting in New York City, the connections between sports-related brain injuries, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and violence have once again come under scrutiny.
The shooting, which took place on Monday and was the deadliest in 25 years, involved an off-duty police officer, Didarul Islam, who was working security in the building and was killed in the incident. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura, targeted the corporate headquarters of the National Football League (NFL).
Tamura, a former high school football player from Southern California, was reported to have carried a three-page note referencing CTE and a former NFL player, Terry Long. In his suicide note, he mentioned football-related brain injury as a factor in his mental state, underscoring concerns about CTE risk at all levels of contact sports, not just professional athletes.
CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. Symptoms include irritability, aggression, mood changes, trouble thinking, impulsivity, and sometimes suicidal thoughts. While aggression is reported as a common early indicator, the symptomatology of CTE is complex and overlaps with mental illness, making it difficult to attribute violent acts solely to CTE.
In the NFL context, several players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, linking repetitive concussions and subconcussive hits in football to this neurodegeneration. However, experts caution that violence and aggressive behavior in former players likely result from multiple interacting factors including mental health issues, substance abuse, and other social or psychological components, not CTE alone.
The NFL acknowledged a link between football and CTE in 2016. Since then, the league and lower levels of football have instituted practice policies and rule changes to decrease brain injury risk. However, studies have found that violent behavior in NFL player populations are still lower than the general male population, though critics argue that the general population is not a fair control group.
Recently, Tamura worked as a security guard at a Las Vegas casino. As of Tuesday, the NFL employee who was seriously injured in the shooting is reported to be in stable condition. The full diagnosis of Tamura's condition could take weeks or months, and the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner could be called to evaluate his body.
The Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) has seen a 30% increase in calls to their helpline this year, indicating a growing public concern about CTE and its potential impacts. As research continues, it is crucial to approach the relationship between CTE and violence with caution, recognizing the complexity of the issue and the need to consider multiple contributing factors.
People are seeking help more frequently regarding mental health due to concerns about CTE, a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma often associated with sports like football. The tragic shooting in New York City, involving a former high school football player and former NFL, has brought renewed attention to this issue. Experts stress that while CTE may play a role in mental state and potentially violent acts, it is essential to acknowledge and address other contributing factors, such as mental health issues, substance abuse, and social or psychological components.
