The U.S. government will be spending $14 million on concussion research and will be using National Football League funds to do so.
It wasn’t long ago the severity of concussions in the NFL was brought to light by 4, 500 former football players suing the NFL for the effects of the head trauma they endured while playing football. A concussion is a type of trauma brain injury that happens due to a blow to the head.
CNN reported a breakdown of concussions: what a concussion is, the history of concussions in the NFL, the statistics, and the common symptoms associated with concussions.
Reuters reported that the $14 million is going toward a series of research projects to diagnose and treat brain injuries in football players and others that have suffered many concussions and sever brain trauma.
The research is an effort between researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the NFL. The NIH’s deputy director of National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke, Walter Koroshetz admits that much is not known about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which affects decision-making, aggression, and dementia, and the research is an attempt to yield information about it.
“We don’t know the mechanics of head injuries that lead to this… We don’t know whether certain people based on their genes are more susceptible or not. There are a lot of questions to be answered,” Koroshetz said.
The brain of those affected by CTE can only be diagnosed when the person is dead, but researchers are hoping to diagnose the patient while they are still alive.
In August we reported the NFL settling the concussion lawsuit by paying $765 million. Out of the $765 million, $675 million went directly to the players who suffered concussions, $75 million to medical expenses, and $10 million for a research fund.
The NFL will be paying $12 million of the $14 million and the NIH will be paying $2 million.