Introduction to the Issue
The National Football League (NFL) has been at the center of controversy regarding the long-term health effects of playing football, particularly concerning chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. A recent study published in the May 6 issue of Frontiers in Psychology has sparked outrage among the widows and caregivers of former NFL players diagnosed with CTE, who feel that the study minimizes their pain and the severity of the disease.
Background on CTE
CTE has been a significant concern for the NFL, with numerous former players being diagnosed with the disease posthumously. The disease is characterized by memory loss, depression, anxiety, and impulse control problems, among other symptoms. The NFL has acknowledged a link between football and CTE, and a settlement was reached to provide compensation to affected players and their families.
The Controversial Study
The study in question asked 172 caregivers for current and former professional football players whether they believed their partner had "CTE." The study suggested that the caregivers’ concerns about CTE may be due to "media hype" rather than the disease itself. This implication has been met with anger and disappointment from the caregivers, who feel that their experiences are being dismissed and belittled.
Reaction from Caregivers
The caregivers have written an open letter to the study’s authors, expressing their outrage and disappointment. The letter, signed by over 30 caregivers, including family members of Hall of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Louis Creekmur, states that the study’s conclusions are "insulting" and "not backed by study evidence." The caregivers argue that their loved ones’ struggles with CTE were real and devastating, and that the study’s suggestion that their concerns were driven by media coverage is "callous" and "patronizing."
Hopes for Study ‘Quickly Turned to Disappointment’
The caregivers had initially been hopeful that the study would shed light on the struggles they faced in caring for their loved ones with CTE. However, their hopes were quickly dashed when they read the study’s conclusions. Dr. Eleanor Perfetto, the widow of former Steelers and Chargers end Ralph Wenzel, who developed dementia and paranoia and lost his ability to speak, walk, and eat, has been a leading voice in criticizing the study. Perfetto, a medical researcher herself, argues that the study’s conclusions are not supported by the data and that the authors are trying to downplay the severity of CTE.
Authors’ Response
The study’s authors, Rachel Grashow and Alicia Whittington, have responded to the criticism, stating that their goal is to support NFL families and that they regret if their work suggested otherwise. However, the caregivers remain unconvinced, and the controversy surrounding the study continues to grow.
‘By Players, for Players’
The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, which conducted the study, is a multifaceted effort to improve the health and well-being of former NFL players. The study is funded by the NFL Players Association, but the university claims that the league has no influence over the results or conclusions. Despite this, the caregivers are skeptical, and the study has only added to the mistrust and controversy surrounding CTE and the NFL.
Personal Stories
The caregivers are not just statistics or data points; they are real people who have lived through the devastating effects of CTE. Kesha James, the widow of former Auburn and San Diego Chargers running back Lionel "Little Train" James, has spoken out about her struggles in caring for her husband, who was diagnosed with dementia at 55 and CTE after his death at 59. James’s story is just one example of the many caregivers who have been affected by CTE, and their stories serve as a powerful reminder of the human cost of the disease.
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding the study on CTE and NFL caregivers is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to acknowledge and address the long-term health effects of playing football. The caregivers’ outrage and disappointment are understandable, given the devastating impact that CTE has had on their lives. It is essential that researchers and the NFL take their concerns seriously and work to improve our understanding of CTE and its effects on players and their families.
FAQs
- What is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. - What are the symptoms of CTE?
The symptoms of CTE include memory loss, depression, anxiety, and impulse control problems, among others. - How is CTE diagnosed?
CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously, through an examination of brain tissue. - What is the Football Players Health Study?
The Football Players Health Study is a multifaceted effort to improve the health and well-being of former NFL players, conducted by Harvard University and funded by the NFL Players Association. - Why are caregivers outraged by the study?
Caregivers are outraged by the study’s suggestion that their concerns about CTE may be driven by media coverage rather than the disease itself, which they feel dismisses and belittles their experiences.
By JIMMY GOLEN, Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Dozens of widows and other caregivers for former NFL players diagnosed with CTE say a published study is insulting and dismissive of their experience living with the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports like football.
An open letter signed by the players’ wives, siblings and children says the study published in the May 6 issue of Frontiers in Psychology suggests their struggles caring for loved ones was due to “media hype” about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, rather than the disease itself. The implication that “caregiver concerns are ‘inevitable’ due to ‘publicity’ is callous, patronizing, and offensive,” they said.
“The burden we experienced did not happen because we are women unable to differentiate between our lived experience and stories from TV or newspaper reports,” they wrote in the letter. “Our loved ones were giants in life, CTE robbed them of their futures, and robbed us of our futures with them. Please don’t also rob us of our dignity.”
The pushback was led by Dr. Eleanor Perfetto, herself a medical researcher and the widow of former Steelers and Chargers end Ralph Wenzel, who developed dementia and paranoia and lost his ability to speak, walk and eat. He was first diagnosed with cognitive impairment in 1999 — six years before Pittsburgh center Mike Webster’s CTE diagnosis brought the disease into the mainstream media.
“My own experience, it just gave a name to what I witnessed every day. It didn’t put it in my head,” Perfetto said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It gave it a name. It didn’t change the symptoms.”
The study published last month asked 172 caregivers for current and former professional football players “whether they believed their partner had ‘CTE.’” Noting that all of the respondents were women, Perfetto questioned why their experiences would be minimized.
“Women run into that every day,” she said. “I don’t think that’s the only factor. I think the motivation is to make it seem like this isn’t a real issue. It’s not a real disease. It’s something that people glommed on to because they heard about it in the media.”
Hopes for study ‘quickly turned to disappointment’
The letter was posted online on Monday under the headline, “NFL Caregivers to Harvard Football Player Health Study: Stop Insulting Us!” It had more than 30 signatures, including family of Hall of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Louis Creekmur.
It praises the study for examining the fallout on loved ones who weathered the violent mood swings, dementia and depression that can come with the disease. The letter says the study gets it wrong by including what it considers unsupported speculation, such as: “Despite being an autopsy-based diagnosis, mainstream media presentations and high-profile cases related to those diagnosed postmortem with CTE may have raised concerns among living players about CTE.”
The letter said these are “insulting conclusions that were not backed by study evidence.”
“Rather than exploring the lived experiences of partners of former athletes, they instead implied the partners’ anxiety was caused by watching the news … as if the media is to blame for the severe brain atrophy caused by CTE in our loved ones,” they wrote.
Study authors Rachel Grashow and Alicia Whittington said in a statement provided to the AP that the goal of their research is “to support NFL families, especially those caring for affected players or grieving for lost loved ones.”
“We regret if any of our work suggested otherwise,” they said. “Our intent was not to minimize CTE — a disease that is far too real — but to point out that heightened attention to this condition can intensify existing concerns, and that symptoms attributed to CTE may, in some cases, stem from other treatable conditions that also deserve recognition and care.”
But Perfetto feared the study was part of a trend to downplay or even deny the risks of playing football. After years of denials, the NFL acknowledged in 2016 a link between football and CTE and eventually agreed to a settlement covering 20,000
