Contact sports increase Parkinson's disease risk
Injuries from playing contact sports, such as rugby, boxing, and martial arts, have been linked to a heightened risk of dementia. A new study now says that contact sports may actually lead to other neurodegenerative diseases, and it explains why.
At Medical News Today, we have covered studies linking brain injury — usually as a result of playing contact sports — with a higher risk of developing various conditions later in life.
One such study argued that brain injuries could accelerate the processes that bring about Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common type of dementia.
It is characterized most prominently by memory loss, a sense of disorientation, and an impaired ability to carry on a daily routine.
Numerous studies during the past few years have suggested that repeated head injuries obtained from participation in contact sports are linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a degenerative brain disease that can lead to dementia.
Now, a study led by researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts has found that people engaging in contact sports may also be more likely to develop Lewy body disease.
In that condition, a protein called alpha-synuclein forms abnormal deposits known as Lewy bodies in the brain. Lewy body disease is associated with dementia symptoms, as well as with Parkinson's disease.
Traditionally, scientists have believed that the motor symptoms — such as tremors, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking — experienced by some athletes are attributable to CTE.
However, the researchers argue instead that those symptoms are actually a byproduct of Lewy body disease, independently of CTE.
"We found the number of years an individual was exposed to contact sports, including football, ice hockey, and boxing, was associated with the development of neocortical [Lewy body disease], and Lewy body disease, in turn, was associated with Parkinsonism and dementia," says study author Dr. Thor Stein.
