New BMJ study examines chronic traumatic encephalopathy in former NFL players
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 4, 2026, 8:33 AM
Last updated Sep 4, 2026
A study published by The BMJ on September 4, 2026, explores the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among former NFL players. Data analyzed from athletes who died between 2016 and 2021 indicates that between 25 and 90 percent of examined brains showed signs of the progressive neurological disease. Researchers found a strong association between stage IV CTE and clinical diagnoses of dementia. Thayne Munce, director of the Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory, noted that the study reflects conditions from players active in the 1960s and 1970s. Because CTE can only be diagnosed through post-mortem tissue inspection, researchers are using mouth guard accelerometers to track head impact data in current athletes across various sports to better understand modern risk factors.
- •The BMJ study analyzed brain tissue from former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021.
- •Results suggest at least 25 percent of former players may suffer from CTE.
- •Advanced stage IV CTE is linked to significantly higher rates of clinical dementia.
- •Researchers now use mouth guard accelerometers to measure head impact data in active athletes.
- •Data remains difficult to compare across generations due to changes in playing standards.
- 8:33 AMYahoo Sports — Getting amped for football season in Kansas means ignoring another bleak study on head injuries
"In a column four years ago, I wrote about my moral confusion with football. On one hand, America swoons for the sport more than ever. Witness the tailgate tables in Lawrence this weekend: the Jayhawk tablecloths, the ornate crimson-and-blue cupcakes, and novelty KU cocktails. In Topeka, the state of Kansas doles out tax breaks to […]
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