Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (ALS)

When thinking about the disease that athletes get, and hearing more and more about it in the media, it has become a growing idea of what should be done. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) affects that brain in a major way. This disease makes it so the brain does not send signals through the body. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy(CTE) is a general description of a category of diseases. These diseases include Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Huntington's, and Frontotemporal Dementia. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are comparable, while Huntington's and Frontotemporal Dementia are comparable. Recent research has shown that athletes are at a higher risk of obtaining these diseases due to the constant strikes to their bodies and heads. Athletes should be able to

It is a buildup of an abnormal protein that leads to the death of brain cells. Some ailments of CTEs are memory loss, confusion, and personality changes. Some diseases that are categorized as CTEs are Alzheimer's, Dementia, Huntington's Disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia. Alzheimer's is a disease that leads to mental deterioration. With this disease the body can still work but the brain becomes forgetful. Someone with this disease could forget how to perform basic, everyday tasks such as walking or eating. Similarly, Dementia is a chronic disorder of the mental process caused by brain injury. While Alzheimer’s is not a reversible disease, some forms of Dementia can be reversible or

Some examples of famous athletes who have been diagnosed with the diseases are Lou Gehrig and Muhammed Ali. Lou Gehrig was born in June 1903. He went to college on a football scholarship but in his first year was found by the New York Giants manager and was asked to play baseball. He was kicked out of football for violating the rules and continued his career in baseball. Over time he became one of the best players of his time. In 1939, his game began to get worse and he was not playing like he had used to. He visited his doctor and was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He official told the public that he was diagnosed with ALS on June 19, 1939. Shortly after being diagnosed he quit playing baseball. He died in June of 1941, only two years after being