>>>
>>> EARLY
>>> EARLY THIS WEEK THE PARENTS OF A FORMER QUARTERBACK SHARED
A STUNNING STORY ABOUT THEIR
SON'S HEALTH MONTHS AFTER HE
TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
THE AUTOPSY OF HIS BRAIN
CONDUCTED AT THE MAYO CLINIC
REVEALED HE HAD CTA -- CTE,
WHICH IS LINKED TO CHRONIC HAD
CONCUSSIONS.
CONCUSSIONS. HE JOINS A GROUP, 110 BRAINS
LAST YEAR OF PLAYERS WERE FOUND
TO SHARE THE SAME.
A FORMER SEAHAWKS LINEBACKER
MICHAEL JACKSON IS HERE WITH US
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IT IS EMOTIONAL TO TALK ABOUT.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?
>> I WAS SHOCKED.
A KID THAT AGE, 21 YEARS OLD
HIS WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF HIM,
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN SAY
THAT WILL MAKE THAT BETTER.
IT WAS A CRIME.
>> THE PARENTS DO NOT SAY THIS
IS WHAT CAUSED TYLER SUICIDE.
THEY JUST RELEASED THE FACT
THERE WAS A CASE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE RESULTS,
YOU TELL US WHAT IT IS EXACTLY
WHAT IT DOES TO THE BRAIN? BUT
THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
IS A PATHOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS THAT
IS PERFORMED AUTOPSIES.
IS CHARACTERIZED BY A
DEPOSITION OF A PATHOLOGICAL
PROTEIN. THE MORE THAT YOU HAVE
THE HIGHER STAGE OF CT YOU HAVE
IN THE BRAIN.
-- CTE YOU HAVE THE BRAIN.
HE HAD STAGE I WHICH MEANS
THERE ARE MICROSCOPIC LESIONS
IN A SCATTERED AREA OF HIS
BRAIN.
BRAIN.
BRAIN. AND HE IS NOT THE FIRST
UNFORTUNATE.
UNFORTUNATE. NOT THE FIRST YOUNG ADULT WHO
HAS HAD THIS DISEASE DIAGNOSED
IN HIS BRAIN.
WE DO NOT HAVE, WE REALLY DO
NOT UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF
THE LESIONS ON HIS BEHAVIOR, ON
HIS COGNITION, AND HOW THOSE
LESIONS AFFECT THE WAY A PERSON
THINKS AND BEHAVES.
MUCH RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO
REALLY UNDERSTAND THE
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. >> TO HAVE ANY IDEA AS WE SEE
MORE INTENSE VERSIONS OF CTE?
CAN THEY CONNECT THAT WITH
BEHAVIOR?
BEHAVIOR?
BEHAVIOR? >> WE REALLY NEED IS A WAY TO
DIAGNOSE CTE .
>> WHY CAN'T WE?
WE HAVE ALL OF THESE SCANNERS
AND GIZMOS, BUT WE CANNOT SEE
THIS STUFF?
THIS STUFF? >> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THE PROTEIN ITSELF, THERE ARE
CRITICAL TRIALS FOR IMAGING TO
IDENTIFY THE PROTEIN IN LIVING
PEOPLE BUT THE DESPERATE BUT
SOMETHING MICROSCOPIC MIGHT NOT
BE ABLE TO BE PICKED UP AND IT
IS ONLY IN CLINICAL TRIALS.
THEIR EFFORTS TO DEVELOP THESE
BIOMARKERS.
BIOMARKERS. IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A
BLOOD BIOMARKER, SOMETHING YOU
COULD COME IN AND TAKE A TEST
AND BE DIAGNOSED.
THERE IS LOTS OF WORK BEING DONE
TO TRY TO DEVELOP THOSE TESTS.
BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SMALL
LESION AND IT DOESN'T JUST
HAPPEN IN CTE, IT HAPPENS AND
LOTS OF DISEASE INCLUDING
ALZHEIMER'S, WHAT WE REALLY
NEED IS SOMETHING THAT
SPECIFICALLY SHOWS US THIS IS
CTE AND THEN USE IT TO STUDY
PEOPLE WHO MAY BE AT RISK, TO
DIAGNOSE PEOPLE AND THEN TO
STUDY THOSE PEOPLE COMPARED TO
PEOPLE THAT DO NOT HAVE A
REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW IT
RELATES TO DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY
OR COGNITION.
OR COGNITION. >> AND HOW TO TREAT IT.
MICHAEL, YOU PLAYED LINEBACKER,
IT IS NOT LIKE THERE IS AN EASY
POSITION ON THE TEAM, YOU ARE
IN A CAR WRECK EVERY PLAY, AND
HE -- EVERY PLAY.
HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS CAN YOU
REMEMBER?
REMEMBER?
REMEMBER? >> I REMEMBER TO WITH THE
SEAHAWKS.
SEAHAWKS.
SEAHAWKS. WHAT PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND --
I REMEMBER TWO WITH THE
SEAHAWKS.
SEAHAWKS.
SEAHAWKS. WHAT PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND
IS YOU SEE A CONCUSSION WITH
EVERY CONTACT, SOON YOU GET A
MAJOR CONCUSSION.
MAJOR CONCUSSION. >> EVERY TIME HE IS GETTING
HITS ON THE FIELD, HIS BRAIN IS
RATTLING AROUND IN HIS HEAD.
>> IT IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. THE IDEA IS SOME CONCUSSIVE
BLOWS MAY CAUSE BRAIN INJURY.
IN FACT IT IS CERTAIN SOME
CONCUSSIVE BLOWS CAN CAUSE
INJURY, THE QUESTION IS HOW
MUCH.
MUCH.
MUCH. AND
MUCH. AND WHAT IS THE THRESHOLD AND
HOW DOES IT DIFFER AMONG
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT MAY BE SOME PEOPLE CAN HAVE
IMPACTS IN THE BRAIN IS FINE.
THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY BE MUCH
MORE VULNERABLE.
MORE VULNERABLE. TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, WE NEED
TO STUDY THE EXPOSURES AND
RELATIONS BACK TO A BIOMARKER.
SOME WAY TO DIAGNOSE THIS.
TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
EXPOSURES ARE THAT CAUSE THIS
AND ONCE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE
CAN PREVENT IT.
>> HOPEFULLY.
>> HOPEFULLY. IN THE MEANTIME, AS A MOTHER,
THAT IS SO FRIGHTENING TO THINK
ABOUT THAT LONG TIMELINE FOR
SUMMARY LIKE MICHAEL OR PEOPLE
PLAYING TODAY, NOT JUST
FOOTBALL BUT OTHER SPORTS, IN
THE MILITARY, VARIOUS THINGS.
YOU SHARED THAT YOU STRUGGLED
WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
DO YOU THINK IT IS CONNECTED TO
WHAT HAPPENS?
WHAT HAPPENS? >> I DO BUT I CANNOT PROVE IT.
NO ONE CAN PROVE IT.
THERE IS A PART OF ME, I USED
TO HAVE VERY BAD ANGER ISSUES.
BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS BECAUSE
I WAS TRAINED TO BE AGGRESSIVE
AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER AND I TOOK
THAT OFF THE FIELD AND TOOK IT
INTO MY PRIVATE LIFE.
I LEARNED TO DEAL WITH THOSE
ISSUES AND NOW I CAN RELAX AND
IDAHO TO TAKE MYSELF AWAY FROM
A SITUATION.
A SITUATION. BUT I STILL SUFFER FROM THOSE
DAYS, IT IS HARD TO GO ON.
>> HAVE YOU EVER FELT SUICIDAL?
>> I HAVE.
I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY IT.
>> THAT IS HOW BAD IT HAS GONE.
NO YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED TO
SAY.
SAY.
SAY. IF
SAY. IF WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT THESE
THINGS NOTHING WILL GET BETTER.
SOMETIMES I HAVE TROUBLE COMING
OUT AND ASKING SO I
APPRECIATED.
APPRECIATED. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO THINK, NOT
ONLY FOR YOURSELF BUT FOR
ACTIVE PLAYERS, ASSUMING THIS
INFORMATION COMES OUT.
AND THEY'RE THINKING OKAY, I AM
30 YEARS OLD, I HAVE TWO KIDS,
I HAVE A FUTURE, WHAT WILL I
DO, WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL CAN THE DECISION?
>> I THINK IT IS PART OF
DOWNSTAIRS, IS PART OF THE
GLADIATOR DAYS.
GLADIATOR DAYS. THEY'RE GETTING PAID TO BE
GLADIATORS.
GLADIATORS. ONE DAY, THE GLADIATORS FIGURE
OUT THERE WERE NO MORE
GLADIATORS WALKING AROUND SO
THEY STOPPED GLADIATOR BE
STOPPING GLADIATORS.
STOPPING GLADIATORS. THIS IS REAL, SOMETHING IS
HAPPENING TO OUR BRAIN, SO THEY
IS HAPPENING TO HER BEHAVIOR.
ARE WE BEING PAID WELL ENOUGH
TO CONTINUE DOING THIS?
>> IS THERE ANY AMOUNT OF
MONEY?
MONEY?
MONEY? >>
MONEY? >> THAT IS THE THING YOU HAVE
TO STRUGGLE WITH.
>> AND AS A FAN, I HAVE TO SAY,
I THINK ABOUT THAT ALL THE
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. WE
TIME. WE USED TO LAUGH ABOUT IT WHEN
WE WERE GROWING UP, SHE DID
TOO.
TOO.
TOO. SOME
TOO. SOME GOT THEIR BELL RUNG WAS
LIKE TOUGH GUY.
WHAT A HIT.
I CANNOT HELP IT.
WHEN I SEE IT NOW ON THE FIELD,
I AM CHEERING FOR SOMETHING
THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED THIS
PERSON'S LIFE AND THE FAMILY'S
LIFE FOREVER AND I'M A FOOTBALL
FAN, YOU KNOW?
SO I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO THINK
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE PARENTS
MY CAN PLAY BASEBALL, THAT WAS
BAD ENOUGH, THEN SOCCER,
FOOTBALL, THE MILITARY, LOTS OF
DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE, PEOPLE
SUFFER HEAD INJURIES PRETTY
FRUGALLY.
FRUGALLY.
FRUGALLY. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I
>> YES. I AM A PARENT, I HAVE TWO
GRANDKIDS AND MY DAUGHTER IS A
BASKET PLAYER IN COLLEGE AND MY
SON IS A SOCCER PLAYER.
I THOUGHT ABOUT THE SAME
ISSUES, IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT
AND THE REASON IT IS REALLY
DIFFICULT IS BECAUSE WE DO NOT
KNOW ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY
INFORMED DECISION.
INFORMED DECISION. WE HAVE SEEN AS WE HAVE TALKED
ABOUT TODAY, A LOT OF THE
FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERS, MOSTLY
FORMER NFL PLAYERS WE HAVE
EXAMINED HAVE HAD THIS CTE
PATHOLOGY IN THE BRAINS.
AND TYLER OF COURSE IS A YOUNG
MAN, WE HAVE SEEN OTHER YOUNG
MEN WHO HAVE THIS LESION IN THE
BRAIN.
BRAIN.
BRAIN. WE
BRAIN. WE STILL REALLY DO NOT KNOW THE
EFFECT OF SPORTS, RIGHT?
OF AMATEUR SPORTS TO A GREAT
EXTENT.
EXTENT.
EXTENT. SO AGAIN, THE BENEFIT OF SPORTS
CANNOT BE, THEY NEED TO BE
CONSIDERED AS WELL, RIGHT?
OBESITY IS A TREMENDOUS RISK
FACTOR FOR ALZHEIMER'S, HEART
DISEASE, OTHER THINGS.
SPENT BUT IF YOU'RE READY
PROBABLY WON'T A HEAD AT SOME
IT HEALS.
IT HEALS.
IT HEALS. >> IT'S A SAFE SPORT.
I'M NOT A CLINICIAN I DO NOT
WANT TO ADVISE PARENTS ON
DECISIONS YOU MAKE BUT AS A
PARENT I CAN SAY IS A PERSON
WHO IS EDUCATED ABOUT THIS
DISEASE AND THE CURRENT FORM,
WE DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO REALLY
UNDERSTAND THE RISKS AND HAVING
SAID THAT, I THINK THE PUBLIC
AWARENESS IS ACTUALLY ESSENTIAL
AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING GOOD
THAT COMES OUT OF THIS IS IF
THE MEDIA IS PAYING ATTENTION
TO IT, MICHAEL AND I ARE ABLE
TO SIT HERE AND TALK TO ABOUT
THIS AND THAT HOPEFULLY WILL
STIMULATE FUNDING TO REALLY DO
THE KIND OF TRIALS IN CHILDREN,
ADULTS, AND PROFESSIONAL
ATHLETES, MILITARY PEOPLE, TO
REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE
EXPOSURE LIMITS AND WHAT ARE
THE CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT?
AND WHAT ARE THE END RESULTS
AND THAT SORT OF THING.
ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY
IS AS FAR AS MENTAL HEALTH, WE
ALREADY HAVE GREAT PRACTICES
AND PROTOCOLS TO HELP PEOPLE
WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
REGARDLESS OF THE COST, RIGHT?
EVEN IF CTE IS CAUSING
DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY OR ANY OF
THESE PROBLEMS, I THINK IT CAN
BE DEALT WITH BECAUSE THERE MANY
-- MAY BE NO TREATMENT FOR CTE
BUT THEY THINK IF YOU HAVE A
SYMPTOM THAT IS NOT TREATABLE
WE HAVE TO BREAK THROUGH THE
STIGMA.
STIGMA.
STIGMA. >> PEOPLE SUFFER IN SILENCE AND
I WOULD IMAGINE YOU WOULD HAVE
TO BELIEVE YOU ARE BULLETPROOF
TO GO OUT ON THE FIELD, AND
MIGHT NOT BE FIRST IN LINE TO
SAY I NEED HELP.
WE HAVE TO REACH OUT AND ALL
THOSE DIFFERENT WAYS.
SAME THINGS WITH A LOT OF
MILITARY PEOPLE, INCREASE BRAIN
INJURY, HEAD INJURY, WHAT YOU
SEE?
SEE?
SEE? >>
SEE? >> RETURNS ALSO HAVE,
ESPECIALLY THOSE EXPOSED TO
BLASTS HAVE SOME CTE BUT THERE
ARE OTHER BRAIN LESIONS WE ARE
SEEING THAT HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED
THAT ARE MORE IN THE BRAINSTEM
WHICH IS DEEPER PARTS OF THE
BRAIN.
BRAIN.
BRAIN. SO, MICHAEL AND I WERE TALKING
EARLIER, DIFFERENT KINDS OF
EXPOSURES, BOXING, WE LEARNED
ABOUT CT AND BOXING, FOOTBALL,
MILITARY BLASTS, CAR ACCIDENTS,
A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, THEY
ALL CAUSE DAMAGE WHICH PROBABLY
OVERLAP.
OVERLAP.
OVERLAP. THE BOTTOM LINE IS REALLY TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE EXPOSURE
LIMIT, HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE A,
AND THEREFORE HAVE YOU TREATED?
>> IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE DONE
WITH EQUIPMENT RIGHT AWAY?
I REALIZE PART OF WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT IS REVERBERATION IN THE
SKULL.
SKULL.
SKULL. BUT SHOULD THE SOFT PART OF THE
HELMET BE ON THE OUTSIDE FOR
EXAMPLE OR IS THERE ANYTHING
THAT CAN BE DONE DIFFERENT?
BUT THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON EQUIPMENT.
YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THAN
HE PROBABLY.
HE PROBABLY. I THINK A WHILE BACK WE TRIED
THE SOFTER OUTSIDE HELMET AND
THEY WERE CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH
NECK INJURIES.
NECK INJURIES. HAVING SAID THAT, ABSOLUTELY WE
SHOULD BE TRYING TO MAKE BETTER
AND BETTER EQUIPMENT, WE SHOULD
BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN ON
EVERY ASPECT IN PREVENTIVE
MEASURES INCLUDING THE WAY
SPORTS ARE CONDUCTED TO BE SAFE
FOR, RIGHT?
FOR, RIGHT? I THINK ALL OF THAT, UNTIL WE
UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE OF THE
EXPOSURE, IT WILL BE HARD
PRESSED TO HOW TO PREVENT THAT.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT
THIS THAN I DO.
>> I WANT TO GIVE THE LAST WORD.
IF THERE IS ANYBODY OUT THERE
SUFFERING FROM THE SYMPTOMS AND
THEY THINK JUST TOUGH IT OUT,
RUB SOME DIRT ON IT, WHAT WOULD
YOU SAY?
YOU SAY?
YOU SAY? BUT YOU WILL NOT TOUGH IT OUT.
IT WILL BE HARD TO TOUGH IT
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. GO
OUT. GO GET THE [ NULL ]. THE HELP
IS THERE , THAT IS WHAT DOCTORS
DO.
DO.
DO. THEY
DO. THEY HELP PEOPLE GET BETTER.
I HAVE A FRIEND AT WORK WITH
WAS MY CONFIDANT, I CAN GO TO
HIM AND ASK HIM ANY QUESTIONS.
I CAN CONFESS WHAT IS GOING ON
IN MY LIFE, GET HELP.
WE'RE NOT THAT TOUGH.
>> NOBODY NEEDS TO BE THAT
TALL.
TALL.
TALL. >>
TALL. >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. THANK SO MUCH.
FIGURE FOR THE INFORMATION.
WE HAVE LINKED VALUABLE
RESOURCES ABOUT CONCUSSIONS AND
HEAD TRAUMA AND CTE ON OUR
HOMEPAGE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
FIND A MORE.
>>> PRESERVING