Linked? Study says soldiers, athletes suffer similar brain trauma

In a study that could have implications for millions of Americans, notably military members and athletes in contact sports, Boston University researchers said that they found significant physicial similarities in the brain tissue of athletes and soldiers who suffered from impact-related degenerative brain diseases that started with traumatic brain injuries but degenerated into a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The role of traumatic brain injury and resulting brain disease is widely believed to be a primary factor in the highly publicized suicides of several NFL players and a contributing factor in the historically high rates of suicides affecting military veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.  The story, published in the New York Times and the study, found in Science Translational Medicine, added that a blast-impact study involving mice offered clues as to the type of motion that was likely to cause brain injury and could help researchers develop better protective gear.