Australian Sports Brain Bank

Last updated

The Australian Sports Brain Bank is a medical research laboratory, a part of the neuropathology department of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney. It is headed by neuropathologist Associate Professor Michael Buckland.

Contents

The bank was established in 2018 as a collaboration between RPA and Sydney University to study the relationship between concussion, head injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). It is a partner organisation of Concussion Legacy Foundation's (CLF) Global Brain Bank. [1] In 2019, the bank opened a branch in Melbourne in conjunction with the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. [2]

In 2020, the bank identified CTE in the brain of Australian rules football hall of fame member Polly Farmer. [3] Jacinda Barclay was the first contact sportswoman in Australia to donate her brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank. Barclay was found dead at her Perth home on 12 October 2020. Her death was implied to have been a suicide. [4] [5] In 2021 researchers uncovered neurological degradation to her cerebral white matter, similar to that found in the brains of American footballers. Damage of this type is thought to be the result of repetitive head injury from contact sports and is linked to an increased risk of suicide. [6] [7] In 2023 researchers from the bank posthumously diagnosed Heather Anderson with CTE. She is the first female athlete diagnosed with this disease. [8]

Other athletes who have pledged to donate their brain to the bank include boxer Jeff Fenech, National Football League player Colin Scotts, Australian Football League players Daniel Chick and Sam Blease and National Rugby League players Ian Roberts and Shaun Valentine. [1] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Seau</span> American football player (1969–2012)

Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate play, he was a six-time first-team All-Pro, twelve-time Pro Bowl selection, and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was elected posthumously to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bubba Smith</span> American actor and athlete (1945–2011)

Charles Aaron"Bubba"Smith was an American football defensive end and actor. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors on the Spartans football team. Smith had a major role in a 10–10 tie with Notre Dame in 1966 that was billed as "The Game of the Century." He is one of only six players to have his jersey number retired by the program. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Nowinski</span> American neuroscientist and professional wrestler

Christopher John Nowinski is an American neuroscientist, author and former professional wrestler. After extensively researching concussions in American football, Nowinski co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation, where he is currently the CEO, and co-founded Boston University's CTE Center. As a professional wrestler, he is best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring name Chris Harvard and later under his real name.

Michael Lewis Webster was an American football center in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, class of 1997. Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Webster anchored the Steelers' offensive line during much of their run of four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979 and is considered by many the greatest center in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic traumatic encephalopathy</span> Neurodegenerative disease caused by head injury

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.

William Paul Daniel was an American football defensive back who played nine seasons in the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Turner (running back)</span> American football player (1969–2016)

Paul Kevin Turner was a professional American football fullback. He played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Turner died after a multi-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which had been triggered by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Jeffrey Hugh Staggs was an American college and professional football player who played for the San Diego State Aztecs and San Diego Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennet Omalu</span> Nigerian-American pathologist

Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a Nigerian and American physician, forensic pathologist and neuropathologist who was the first to discover and publish findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County coroner's office in Pittsburgh. He later became the chief medical examiner for San Joaquin County, California, and is a professor at the University of California, Davis, department of medical pathology and laboratory medicine. He is currently the President and Medical Director of Bennet Omalu Pathology.

Concussions and play-related head blows in American football have been shown to be the cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has led to player deaths and other debilitating symptoms after retirement, including memory loss, depression, anxiety, headaches, stress, and sleep disturbances.

Concussions, a type of mild traumatic brain injury, are a frequent concern for those playing sports, from children and teenagers to professional athletes. Repeated concussions are known to cause neurological disorders, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which in professional athletes has led to premature retirement, erratic behavior and even suicide. A sports-related concussion is defined as a "complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by biomechanical forces". Because concussions cannot be seen on X-rays or CT scans, attempts to prevent concussions have been difficult.

<i>Concussion</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Peter Landesman

Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players.

Kostadinos Alexander "Kosta" Karageorge was an American football player and collegiate wrestler at Ohio State University. Karageorge's death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound led to a controversy over undiagnosed concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes. Karageorge's initial autopsy showed no signs of CTE, but a later autopsy produced conflicting results.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacinda Barclay</span> Australian sportswoman (1991–2020)

Jacinda Barclay was an Australian sportswoman who played baseball, American football and Australian rules football at high levels. She represented the Australian national team in five Women's Baseball World Cups and played professional football for the Chicago Bliss in the Legends Football League and Greater Western Sydney in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Citing her success across multiple sports, The Sydney Morning Herald called Barclay "the Sonny Bill Williams of women's sport" in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Anderson</span> Australian rules footballer (1994–2022)

Heather Anderson was an Australian Army soldier and Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition in 2017. She served as a medic in the 1st Close Health Battalion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston University CTE Center and Brain Bank</span>

The Boston University CTE Center is an independently run medical research lab located at the Boston University School of Medicine. The Center focuses on research related to the long-term effects of brain trauma and degenerative brain diseases, specializing in the diagnosis and analysis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to researchers at Boston University, CTE is a brain disease involving progressive neurological deterioration common in athletes, military personnel, and others who have a history of brain trauma. The disease is primarily caused by repeated blows to the head, some of which result in concussions or sub-concussive symptoms.

Most documented cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy have occurred in athletes involved in contact sports such as boxing, American football, wrestling, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, rugby and soccer. Other risk factors include being in the military, prior domestic violence, and repeated banging of the head. The exact amount of trauma required for the condition to occur is unknown. Below is a list of notable cases of CTE in sports.

Charles "Peter" Moscatt was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s. He played for Eastern Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. Post-football he was an ardent and active local government councillor in the Waverley municipality in Sydney.

"The Hit" is a phrase used to describe one of the most famed plays in the history of the National Football League in a November 20, 1960 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants at the original Yankee Stadium in The Bronx in New York City.

References

  1. 1 2 Han, Esther (26 March 2018). "Australia's first sports brain bank launched to find head injury and disease link". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Ltd. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  2. "Sports Brain Bank for Victoria". La Trobe University. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. Carlisle, Wendy; Colangelo, Anthony (26 February 2020). "CTE discovered in Polly Farmer's brain in AFL-first". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  4. Valencich, Glenn (13 October 2020). "Sporting world rocked by shock death of AFLW player aged 29". 7NEWS.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  5. Riordan, Joey (14 October 2020). "'Demons none of us knew': Friends open up on 29-year-old's shock death". 7NEWS.com.au. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  6. Convery, Stephanie (29 April 2021). "Damage found after late AFLW player Jacinda Barclay donates brain for concussion research". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  7. McIntire, Kayla L.; Crawford, Kelly M.; Perrin, Paul B.; Sestak, Jordan L.; Aman, Kyle; Walter, Lauren A.; Page, David B.; Wen, Huacong; Randolph, Brittney O.; Brunner, Robert C.; Novack, Tom L. (18 January 2021). "Factors Increasing Risk of Suicide after Traumatic Brain Injury: A State-of-the-Science Review of Military and Civilian Studies". Brain Injury. 35 (2): 151–163. doi:10.1080/02699052.2020.1861656. ISSN   0269-9052. PMID   33460350 via Taylor & Francis online.
  8. Davey, Melissa (4 July 2023). "Australian footballer Heather Anderson first case of CTE in a female athlete diagnosed by researchers" via The Guardian.
  9. Proszenko, Adrian (4 December 2019). "Fenech pledges brain to science for concussion research". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Ltd. Retrieved 27 February 2020.