Here's a bit on CTE that I was reading... doesn't take much to figure out that boxing fits right in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy
Yeah, it's some pretty serious stuff to consider. Here's a couple of articles with pics of damaged brains with dye showing the influence of the tau protein: http://www.aansneurosurgeon.org/200111/6/690 http://promega.wordpress.com/2011/0...ave-to-do-with-football-dementia-and-suicide/
Which is why brain scans etc need to be mandatory, at regular intervals and after any knockout/concussion. But as has been pointed out, boxing is not the only sport that causes brain damage. With proper medical checks etc. the risks can be reduced.
Meh, they just need to develop a special gamma ray brain scanner for fighters. Repeated exposure = HULK SMASH! PPV could get a lot more exciting. And, although the hulk may show some signs of CTE, he seems to do pretty well for himself otherwise. :hat:
I remember being at a sports med conference and I believe that the radiation from a CT was the equivalent of a years normal exposure. It wouldn't take that many CT scans to increase your risk of radiation related illnesses and that is the big worry with giving anyone repeated exposures. MRI is by far safer and for the most part will show as much (within certain confines). People forget that many medical procedures do carry some sort of risk to the patient. This is one reason why x-rays are not used that much comparatively anymore because there is not that much benefit except within certain conditions. See the following for a few of the commonly used guidelines for x-ray use : http://www.wikiradiography.com/page/Ottawa+Rules LFD
After this discussion, I'm still against banning it but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for a coach to sit down with a new gym member and explain a few things. This could be a hard one to defend/protect. Good luck to you guys.
Thanks to slipthejab for providing an example of how proper medical checks can minimise the risks. Are jockeys given this kind of medical scrutiny?
Saw this in the news today and remembered this thread. http://emotiv.com/store/hardware/epoc-bci/epoc-neuroheadset/ http://emotiv.com/store/apps/applications/132/4285 It kind of looks like it might be a home EEG kit for less than the cost of an XBOX 360 w/Kinect. It's a complete neurofeedback system with a number of different applications. And you can find normal EEG level ranges online, so it might be interesting to have one on hand to monitor yourself if you're taking a lot of full contact to the head. It appears as though the headset uses very similar nodule placements as an actual EEG would. Maybe some food for thought...
