And they wonder if those blows to the head they took over the years are catching up with them. Now they're dealing with headaches, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, mood changes. All have a history of head injuries, usually from college sports. They're part of a quiet population of everyday men and women, typically middle-aged, frightened they may have this devastating disease. PFEIFFER: That's Katie Weatherston of Ottawa, Canada, Tommy Edwards of Radford, Va., and Leo Perez of Chicago. PFEIFFER: If they opened your brain, do you think they would find CTE or the start of CTE? TOMMY EDWARDS: I think I have symptoms of mental illness caused by CTE. LEO PEREZ: I 100% think that I have CTE to some level. Several didn't want their names made public, but many openly shared their fears.
But as I did my research, I kept finding people, dozens of them, who never played a professional sport yet are afraid they have CTE.
PFEIFFER: It's also been found in the brains of hundreds of dead pro athletes who played other types of contact and collision sports. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #4: In a new study examining 111 brains of deceased NFL players, 110 had CTE. He's part of a significant problem in the NFL. I researched whether CTE could help explain why Aaron Hernandez became so impulsive and angry and ultimately a murderer who later took his own life. It's neurodegenerative, so it affects the brain and gets worse over time, sometimes causing memory loss and mental decline and personality changes. PFEIFFER: I focused on Aaron Hernandez's diagnosis of CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #3: He was just 27 years old when he committed suicide in prison while serving a life sentence for murder. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: Doctors calling it, quote, "the most severe case they had ever seen in someone his age." UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: A brain autopsy has revealed former NFL star Aaron Hernandez suffered from a severe form of CTE. A few years ago, I worked on a project about a famous football player who had a tragic life and a tragic death. SACHA PFEIFFER, BYLINE: I want to start this story by explaining how I found this story. And that has created a thriving market in dubious remedies, as NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer reports. But fear of this condition extends far beyond pro athletes. It's about the fatal brain disease that's been diagnosed in many former professional football and hockey players.
And a spreadsheet for tracking prices can be a serious shopper's best friend.Now a story with special relevance as the NFL and NHL seasons are underway. If you see a live deal you like, we recommend pouncing on it.
PT: We're still cranking out deals as we find them here, but feel free to peruse the links below for alternate curated versions of some of our favorite items on sale.Ĭyber Monday is, well, Monday - but the Cyber Monday deals are here now.