Did anyone see the sports related brain injury and its long term effects forum on CSPAN2 last night? I joined it about 15 minutes late, and I don't remember the actual name of the program, but basically it was different state senators asking a panel of doctors and ex-athletes about the effects and costs of researching CTE from repeated head blows in sports.

It did cover concussions somewhat on its way to the actual subject of CTE, but the most promising part of the program was when one senator asked the Neurosurgeon from Boston if the government were able to give double the amount of monies currently being used for research, how the research would benefit. The Neurosurgeon stated the answers would become exponentially discovered, with the possibility of clinical trials, which is unheard of now.

So it seems to me that there is such benefit for us here with mTBI's, spurred on by the unfortunate discoveries of these professional athletes. They are suffering from dementia, severe depression and other neurological diseases like Parkinson's after sustaining repeated blows to the head. It has brought brain injuries and the sometimes severe consequences to light.

Hockey said it best earlier; there can be no "cure" or road to a cure if there isn't even acknowledgement of a problem, or a uniform way to diagnose brain injury, especially mild brain injury. I hope this research establishes a consistent way to diagnose brain injury right from the beginning that can be used without discrimination so that nobody has to suffer from CHRONIC traumatic encephalopathy ever again. M-i-m