Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck spent 17 years in the league, taking numerous hits during games and practices. After a long career in sports, including his college years at Boston College, Hasselbeck, now 50, appears to be in good health. He lives with his wife and three children. However, he knows others, including friends and former teammates, have not been as fortunate. This awareness led him to volunteer for a Boston University study to assess how collisions impact brain health.
Hasselbeck visited the university for a series of scans and tests aiming to understand the effects of head impacts on the brain. The study hopes to contribute to diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living individuals. This condition, linked to concussions and other head traumas, is often highlighted in discussions about the NFL and college football. CTE is a degenerative disease found in many former NFL players, including prominents like Junior Seau and Ken Stabler, diagnosed after their deaths.
Currently, CTE diagnosis is only possible post-mortem, but it is known to affect brain regions managing behavior and emotions. Symptoms include memory loss, depression, and violent mood swings. Recognizing the overlap with other diseases adds complexity to its diagnosis. Hasselbeck’s involvement helps support research led by Michael Alosco, co-director of clinical research at the CTE Center. The study seeks participants from professional or college football backgrounds and those with Alzheimer’s disease who lack a history of head trauma.
There are similarities between Alzheimer’s and CTE as both are degenerative brain disorders. However, there are distinct differences. Alosco emphasizes the importance of identifying markers specific to CTE proteins. This distinction could advance diagnosis efforts. Today, roughly 10 participants have joined at the Phoenix location, according to Nicholas Ashton, another study investigator. He noted difficulties in diagnosing CTE due to symptom similarities with Alzheimer’s.
Hasselbeck expressed his gratitude and respect for those enduring serious brain trauma. His decision also includes donating his brain for research post-death to further understand CTE. The former NFL player shares his experience to encourage more participation from his peers.
Not only former NFL players contribute to the study. Bryan Savage, a former line-backer from Union College in New York, also participates. Even though he didn’t play in the NFL, he dealt with head impacts in college football. He experiences depression and ADHD, prompting interest in his participation. Savage urges former teammates to join the study after finding encouraging results from his own brain scans.
Alosco acknowledges the gap between Alzheimer’s and CTE research, mainly due to the time devoted to Alzheimer’s studies. Donations of brains and data collection during life have accelerated Alzheimer’s understanding. CTE research is still catching up, and volunteers like Hasselbeck and Savage are pivotal in this progress. The National Institutes of Health has allocated $15 million for ongoing studies scheduled for 2025.
Hasselbeck highlights a major cultural shift in NFL locker rooms regarding head injuries during his career from 1998 to 2015. He experienced concussions both before and during his professional years. He noticed a change in attitudes toward head injuries by the mid-2010s as players became more open about concussions. His pride in this shift is evident, with hopes that his CTE study participation furthers this positive evolution.
The quarterback remains committed to making football safer, having worked with the NFL and NFLPA on this front. His ongoing contributions align with efforts to protect future athletes in the sport.
Additional reporting by former AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen in Boston.
Source: AP NFL