According to a story in the Associated Press, a study published in the May 6 issue of Frontiers in Psychology was recently labeled as insulting and dismissive by the widows of NFL players who were diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated trauma to the head.
The study suggests that concerns by caregivers are due to “media hype” about CTE, rather than the disease itself.
A letter signed by more than 30 individuals, including family of Hall of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Louis Creekmur, included,
“Rather than exploring the lived experiences of partners of former athletes, they instead implied the partners’ anxiety was caused by watching the news… as if the media is to blame for the severe brain atrophy caused by CTE in our loved ones.”
Study authors, Rachel Grashow and Alicia Whittington, expressed their regret for their study suggesting anything but support for the NFL families, and that their intent was to point out the heightened attention to CTE.
Kesha James, widow to former San Diego Chargers running back, Lionel “Little Train” James, claimed that she would have to disable their car to keep her husband from driving drunk. He was diagnosed with dementia and CTE at 55 and died four years later. Other wives testified that their husbands would experience forgetfulness, paranoia, violent rages, and suicidal tendencies.
After years of previously denying a link between football and CTE, the NFL acknowledged the link in 2016 and eventually agreed to a $4 million settlement that covered 20,000 retired players who had died from the disease.