LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least one in four former National Football League (NFL) players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder, according to a new study published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham, Boston University and the Concussion & CTE Foundation examined 235 donated brains from 878 former players who died between 2016 and 2021.
In that sample, 215 brains were diagnosed with CTE, meaning that, to take those who didn't donate their brains into account, at least 24.5 percent had the disease.
Dr. Leah Croll, a neurologist at Maimonides Medical Center, said repeated head impacts -- a dominant feature of American football -- are associated with an abnormal buildup of tau protein that damages brain cells and may eventually contribute to problems with memory, thinking, behavior and mood.
"The true number could be substantially higher, and even this minimum estimate suggests that CTE is not a rare outcome among former NFL players," she told ABC News.
In a statement, the NFL Players Association called the study "a sobering reminder that football carries real risks," noting that the findings should spur broader action to advance research, improve access to care, develop treatments and support affected players. ■