Brain scans have found evidence of brain degeneration in ex-footballers. Picture: ThinkStock Source: news.com.au Research links football injuries and brain damage Concussions could lead to dementia, depression Experts, doctors say research is vital New evidence linking serious trauma to contact football has emerged in the US, using advanced brain scanning technology. The research is so compelling that more than 4000 ex-players are suing America's National Football League (NFL) for damages. Scientists at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have used positron emission tomography (PET) scans on living ex-players to detect a link between concussions and brain conditions such as dementia and depression. Previously these studies could only be conducted post mortem. The UCLA study found evidence of the trace protein tau (FDDNP), indicative of the degenerative brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Tau levels were highest among players who'd experienced numerous concussions. The UCLA says this "suggests a link between the players' history of head injury and FDDNP binding." Their findings were published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. "If this research continues in the direction we expect, it would have a big impact on the early detection of this condition, helping us to develop interventions that could delay the onset of symptoms," said leading researcher, Dr Gary Small. Roy Asotasi of the Rabbitohs comes off after having his head bandaged during a head clash. Dr Samiul Sorrenti, a consulting doctor for the Parramatta Eels who represents the Rugby League Medical Officers Association, says the accumulation of minor head knocks over the course of a career can add up to one serious injury, leading to problems with behaviour, mood, sleep, concentration, memory or worse. "The most important thing is that any contact with the head should be avoided," he said. When the brain recoils forward it can cause micro-damage. If you get this repeatedly over a period of time it causes macro-damage. Premature dementia is the major thing that's going to worry us. What we don't want to see in 20 years time is ex-footballers having an increased incidence of dementia or other mental problems and when we look back - it was due to the number of injuries we have. Professor Robert Vink, from the University of Adelaide, is currently in the process of submitting a research grant to lead a team in conducting similar studies in Australia. Professor Vink says while he believes there is a direct link between the damage caused by concussion and brain damage, nothing has been conclusively proven. That makes CTE a controversial subject in Australian sport, which is why Professor Vink is hoping to gather a team of professionals to get to the bottom of it. "We just need to get together and work this thing out," he told news.com.au. The aim is to do some modelling and do some work with footballers. We want our athletes to be healthy and grow up normal. The evidence from the brains of ex-players in American football - the NFL - shows a strong link between concussion and declining performance in the brain. Experts say the accumulation of minor head knocks over the course of a career can add up to one serious injury, leading to problems with behaviour, mood, sleep, concentration, memory or worse. More than 4,000 ex-players are currently suing the NFL in a class action. A number of high-profile suicides, thought to have been brought by dementia and/or depression, have also brought this case to a head. Last year former San Diego Chargers star Junior Seau took his own life. He shot himself, deliberately in the chest, so that his brain would be preserved for research. He knew something was wrong. A post-mortem discovered CTE on Seau's brain. "What we've seen in the NFL with players who get a lot of concussions is an accumulation of the Tau protein, which is sort of like plaque building up on the brain," Professor Vink added. It's very similar to dementia pugilistica in boxers, or punch-drunk syndrome. There's a pattern of this Tau to repeated concussions. That's what's been seen in these brains. Professor Vink admits there's little professional sports bodies in Australia could have done previously, because the research wasn't available. Even now it's considered a controversial subject because nothing definitive has been established. But he says enough doubt exists for organisations like the NRL and AFL to commit further to brain research. Alex Rance (Tigers) and Troy Selwood (Lions) knock each other out in an AFL collision. "The codes should be investing in research to sort this problem out," he said. Do they (the codes) have an obligation to invest in the players of today? They know there's a problem and they have to sort. They're professional athletes - you've got to look after these people. Dr Sorrenti agrees it's time for rugby league to make a serious investment in research. "The (ARL) Commission is the custodian of the game and this would be very well spent money," he told news.com.au. [We need to] appoint an expert researcher to look at all the facts. It's a big step, there's a lot of work to be done, but I must admit I'm extremely impressed with what they're doing so far. Dr Sorrenti says that rigorous safety measures are already in place when a player suffers a concussion in the NRL. A concussed player must submit to thorough cognitive testing and reach league-standard benchmarks before they can be cleared to play another game. Simon Dwyer knocks over Jared Waerea-Hargreaves with a brutal NRL hit. But more must be done to care for players in the long term, Dr Sorrenti says, particularly once they've left the game. "We need to make sure that when a player stops playing we don't lose track of them," he said. I would like to commend the work done by Men of League, I think they're a group of people who are very much in helping ex-players and they've probably seen more problems than the club doctors - because once the guys have disappeared from the scene they'll go to them and not the club doctors. Clubs should keep tabs on their ex-players. It's a grim conclusion to draw that large numbers of footballers in this country may go on to develop very serious brain injuries.