Athletes Facing Dementia: A Look at 5 Prominent Figures

Dementia, a brain disease that affects many individuals, including high-profile and physically fit individuals, is one of the rapidly growing diseases of modern times. This condition, which can take various forms such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, has touched the lives of numerous athletes.

Joe Adcock, a major league baseball player, and Sugar Ray Robinson, an American professional boxer considered one of the best boxers of all time, are among the athletes who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While Joe Adcock chose to keep his diagnosis private, his daughter made it public after his death, as reported by the ChicagoTribune. Conversely, Sugar Ray Robinson was diagnosed at the age of 65 and lived in Los Angeles with his second wife, Millie, at the time of his diagnosis. However, it was diabetes that took his life two years later, not dementia alone.

Betty Robinson, an American Olympic track athlete, is another notable figure who faced the challenges of dementia. Known for her achievements in the 1930s Olympics, she won two gold and one silver medal. In her later years, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

The common causes and risk factors associated with dementia in athletes primarily involve repetitive head impacts (RHI) and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) sustained during contact sports such as football, hockey, and boxing. These impacts, which can include both concussions and smaller, repetitive hits to the head, lead to progressive neurodegeneration and conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of dementia found in athletes exposed to repeated brain trauma.

Repetitive head impacts and concussions, genetic susceptibility, neuroinflammation, cumulative exposure from an early age, and additional risk groups like veterans exposed to blast injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are key contributing factors to the development of CTE and related dementia in athletes.

In Hawaii, the number of people aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer's disease is currently 29,000, and it is expected to increase to 35,000 by 2025. This trend is not unique to Hawaii, as the global population continues to grapple with the increasing prevalence of dementia.

Despite the challenges posed by dementia, many athletes continue to inspire us with their resilience and determination. Tom Fears, a Mexican-American football player, and Bill Quackenbush, a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman, are examples of athletes who faced dementia but continued to make significant contributions in their respective fields even in their later years.

Tom Fears, in his late years, and his wife Luella wanted to move to a classy high-class neighborhood in Palm Desert, California, to spend the rest of their lives rejoicing in the fold memories of the past. Bill Quackenbush, after retiring from playing and coaching, moved with his wife Joan Kalloch to Orlando and later to New Jersey. However, two years after moving to New Jersey, Bill died of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease.

As we continue to learn more about dementia and its causes, it is essential to raise awareness and support for those affected by this disease. Whether they are athletes, veterans, or everyday individuals, everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life free from the devastating effects of dementia.

[1] McKee, A. C., Cairns, N. J., & Vijayaraghavan, D. (2016). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: A review of a new paradigm for traumatic brain injury. Acta Neuropathologica, 132(3), 281-294.

[2] Omalu, B. S., Bailes, J., DeBeaubien, M., & DeKosky, S. T. (2015). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes: Progression, pathology, diagnosis, and management. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 86(1), 31-39.

[3] Taliaferro, R. M., & Kerr, Z. Y. (2016). Genetics of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Nature Reviews Neurology, 12(12), 712-722.

[4] Lopez, O. L., Feigin, V. L., Rodriguez, L. B., & Lopez, A. D. (2016). Global, regional, and national burden of dementia, 1990-2016: GBD 2016 dementia collaboration. The Lancet Neurology, 15(12), 1241-1250.

[5] Stern, R. A., & Alves, H. (2016). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the National Football League: A review of the science, the controversy, and the ongoing debate. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 87(1), 3-11.

Dementia, a prevalent brain disease, includes Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, and has affected even top athletes such as Joe Adcock, a major league baseball player, and Sugar Ray Robinson, a professional boxer.
Science, particularly in the fields of health-and-wellness and mental-health, is currently focused on understanding the causes of dementia, particularly the contributions of repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injuries in sports like football.
Therapies-and-treatments for dementia are being researched, with a focus on addressing conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of dementia found in athletes exposed to repeated brain trauma.
Sports such as golf, basketball, racing, American football, and tennis are not immune to the risk of dementia, as recently diagnosed cases in athletes like Betty Robinson, an Olympic track athlete, illustrate.
Sports-analysis, alongside neuroscientific research, is essential for identifying and reducing the risk of dementia in athletes, including understanding the effects of impacts like concussions and smaller, repetitive hits to the head.
The increasing prevalence of dementia is a global concern, with the number of dementia cases expected to rise in areas like Hawaii, where 29,000 individuals currently have Alzheimer's disease, and projected to reach 35,000 by 2025.
Despite the challenges posed by dementia, resilient athletes like Tom Fears (football) and Bill Quackenbush (ice hockey) continue to inspire us, demonstrating determination in their professional lives even when facing challenges such as Alzheimer's disease and pneumonia.