Multiple concussions like Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s increase chances of long-term health issues
When Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa collided headfirst with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during Thursday night’s football game, it was immediately apparent to medical experts that Tagovailoa had suffered a serious concussion.
When Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa collided headfirst with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during Thursday night’s football game, it was immediately apparent to medical experts that Tagovailoa had suffered a serious concussion.
Knocked down on the field and lying on his back, Tagovailoa’s right arm extended up into the air as the fingers on his hand curled, a reflex known as the fencing position that happens after a significant brain injury. It was the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career after two back-to-back concussions in 2022.
Experts say repeated head injuries can increase the risk for long-term health problems, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with changes in mood, behavior and cognition, and has been diagnosed in hundreds of NFL players after their deaths. But precisely who goes on to have CTE or other long-term health issues after a head collision is somewhat of a mystery.
Tua Tagovailoa walks off the field with training staff after a concussion on Thursday.Jasen Vinlove / Imagn“We know that repetitive concussions have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment later in life,” said Steve Rowson, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech and the director of the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab.
“But not everyone who has repetitive concussions develop brain health problems later in life,” Rowson said. “Only a fraction of those people do, and we don’t know why it’s those people.”
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