Study Estimates 75% of Former NFL Players Who Died Since 2008 Had CTE
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Oct 28
Study Estimates 75% of Former NFL Players Who Died Since 2008 Had CTE
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Oct 28
Summary
A JAMA Network Open study estimated about 3 in 4 former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had CTE, based on 2,362 deaths and an adjustment for brain-donation bias.
Among 396 players who donated brains for research, 362 — or 93.5% — were diagnosed with CTE, but researchers found players with dementia-like symptoms were five times more likely to donate.
That adjustment produced a far higher prevalence estimate than an August study, which found at least 1 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE.
Researchers and outside experts said selection bias still cannot be fully removed, and CTE pathology does not mean every affected player had symptoms or severe dementia.
The findings add pressure on football to reduce repeated head impacts, while researchers say better prevalence estimates could speed work on diagnosing CTE in living patients and testing treatments.