Exploring the connections between alcohol and chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Abstract

In the world of hard-hitting sports, a deadly consequence has come up in the past years: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (commonly known as CTE). This brain condition has long eluded scientists attempting to find a treatment and the effects of it are some of the worst we have ever seen. Moreover, the appearance of the disease has only increased in occurrence over recent years. Football, hockey, and other physical sports continue to get more and more popular across the world and if treatment for CTE is not found promptly, the effect of the dangerous sports will be seen in the players’ brains like never before. CTE has claimed countless lives on the record and even more that have never quite been proven. However, though most believe the cause is the constant head trauma experienced by players, perhaps this mystery does not stop at just that. The specific causes of CTE and still not completely known, and this paper intends to answer that with at least one cause: alcohol. Alcohol has been a favorite among many players and its presence is undeniable in the sporting community. Its effects on the liver, kidney, and other organs are clear already, and perhaps after this research and more, its effects on the brain can become clearer as well. A connection between alcohol and CTE can be seen here in this research and this link can be built upon in efforts to create a treatment for the horrible disease, eventually hoping to render this issue nonexistent.