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Junior Seau: An Illustrative Case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Update on Chronic Sports-Related Head Injury.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Azad, TD; Li, A; Pendharkar, AV; Veeravagu, A; Grant, GA
Published in: World Neurosurg
February 2016

BACKGROUND: Few neurologic diseases have captured the nation's attention more completely than chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has been discovered in the autopsies of professional athletes, most notably professional football players. The tragic case of Junior Seau, a Hall of Fame, National Football League linebacker, has been the most high-profile confirmed case of CTE. Here we describe Seau's case, which concludes an autopsy conducted at the National Institutes of Health that confirmed the diagnosis. CASE DESCRIPTION: Since 1990, Junior Seau had a highly distinguished 20-year career playing for the National Football League as a linebacker, from which he sustained multiple concussions. He committed suicide on May 2, 2012, at age 43, after which an autopsy confirmed a diagnosis of CTE. His clinical history was significant for a series of behavioral disturbances. Seau's history and neuropathologic findings were used to better understand the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and possible risk factors for CTE. CONCLUSIONS: This high-profile case reflects an increasing awareness of CTE as a long-term consequence of multiple traumatic brain injuries. The previously unforeseen neurologic risks of American football have begun to cast doubt on the safety of the sport.

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Published In

World Neurosurg

DOI

EISSN

1878-8769

Publication Date

February 2016

Volume

86

Start / End Page

515.e11 / 515.e16

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Male
  • Humans
  • History, 21st Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Football
  • Famous Persons
  • Brain Injury, Chronic
  • Adult
  • 3209 Neurosciences
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
 

Citation

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Chicago
ICMJE
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Azad, T. D., Li, A., Pendharkar, A. V., Veeravagu, A., & Grant, G. A. (2016). Junior Seau: An Illustrative Case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Update on Chronic Sports-Related Head Injury. World Neurosurg, 86, 515.e11-515.e16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2015.10.032
Azad, Tej D., Amy Li, Arjun V. Pendharkar, Anand Veeravagu, and Gerald A. Grant. “Junior Seau: An Illustrative Case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Update on Chronic Sports-Related Head Injury.World Neurosurg 86 (February 2016): 515.e11-515.e16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2015.10.032.
Azad TD, Li A, Pendharkar AV, Veeravagu A, Grant GA. Junior Seau: An Illustrative Case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Update on Chronic Sports-Related Head Injury. World Neurosurg. 2016 Feb;86:515.e11-515.e16.
Azad, Tej D., et al. “Junior Seau: An Illustrative Case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Update on Chronic Sports-Related Head Injury.World Neurosurg, vol. 86, Feb. 2016, pp. 515.e11-515.e16. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2015.10.032.
Azad TD, Li A, Pendharkar AV, Veeravagu A, Grant GA. Junior Seau: An Illustrative Case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Update on Chronic Sports-Related Head Injury. World Neurosurg. 2016 Feb;86:515.e11-515.e16.
Journal cover image

Published In

World Neurosurg

DOI

EISSN

1878-8769

Publication Date

February 2016

Volume

86

Start / End Page

515.e11 / 515.e16

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Male
  • Humans
  • History, 21st Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Football
  • Famous Persons
  • Brain Injury, Chronic
  • Adult
  • 3209 Neurosciences
  • 3202 Clinical sciences