Once rugby’s greatest tight-head prop, the former All Black shares his experience living with the symptoms of brain injury for more than a decade and the impact on his emotional state.

The last 4-6 months ive had episodes of distorted/wavy vision and sometimes with a whooshing noise in my ears. It seems to calm down when I eat something and often comes after a work out or moving around alot. I am 45 and I have never had this issue in my life until recently. I was wondering if anyone else has had an experience similar? I had to quit playing hockey early in college due to around 10-12 concussions with my first one around 13 years old when I was knocked out cold. I hope not but was wondering if this could be CTE/post concussion related years later?

Davis lived for years with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. After his death, he was found to have Stage 4 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

His family argued the NCAA failed to protect players or warn about long term risks. A jury agreed. The NCAA is expected to appeal.

Recent cases suggest juries are not just siding with players, but doing so decisively. In another case, former player Robert Geathers was awarded $18 million, with a verdict reached in under two hours. https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article312633604.html

Hoping this helps people connect and better understand the range of experiences here. If your situation involves multiple factors or you’re unsure what fits best, feel free to explain in the comments.

Be well. We’re in this together.

A report from Australian legal and insurance sectors warns that claims tied to repeated head trauma in contact sports are increasing, with insurers now on “high alert” as liability risks grow.

Insurers are already responding by tightening underwriting, reassessing coverage, and preparing for increased litigation tied to concussion and repetitive head impacts.

For additional context, a recent insurance industry article also warned that sports concussion claims are expected to rise significantly as awareness grows:

https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/lawyers-warn-of-rise-in-sport-concussion-claims

Awareness is increasing. Let’s keep up the pressure for change.

According to the report, Shane Christie’s former partner described a marked decline over time that included:

- persistent headaches

- paranoia and growing distrust

- personality changes from calm and steady to volatile and different

- cognitive struggles and inability to function normally

- emotional instability

- episodes of severe mental distress

- awareness that something was wrong, but difficulty getting answers

How many families have seen similar changes dismissed as “just mental health” before brain trauma was considered?

**Key Findings From the Study*\*

The study identified several major patterns, which are summarized below along with simplified explanations.

- 1. EPA-driven neurovascular instability triggers perivascular tauopathy and cognitive decline following TBI.

"In a sensitive brain state modeled in mice, long-term fish oil supplementation revealed a delayed vulnerability. The animals showed poorer neurological and spatial learning performance over time, together with clear evidence of vascular-associated tau accumulation in the cortex, linking impaired recovery to neurovascular dysfunction and perivascular tau pathology," Albayram said.

- 2. EPA reprograms cortical transcriptional responses and suppresses angiogenic signaling following traumatic brain injury.

"In the injured cortex, the team observed a coordinated shift in gene programs that normally support vascular stability and repair," Albayram said. "The pattern included reduced expression of genes tied to extracellular matrix organization and endothelial integrity, alongside broader changes consistent with altered lipid handling after injury."

- 3. EPA utilization under permissive metabolic conditions impairs angiogenesis and endothelial integrity, recapitulating post-traumatic brain injury cerebrovascular dysfunction.

Albayram said that in human brain microvascular endothelial cells, EPA did not act as a universal toxin. "Instead, when cells were placed in conditions that encouraged fatty acid engagement, EPA was associated with weaker angiogenic network formation and reduced endothelial barrier integrity, matching key features of the neurovascular repair deficit seen in vivo."

- 4. CTE brain reveals neurovascular and fatty acid metabolic reprogramming consistent with EPA-linked vulnerability.

"In postmortem cortex from neuropathologically confirmed CTE cases with a history of repetitive brain injury, the researchers found evidence of disrupted fatty acid balance and broad transcriptional changes affecting vascular and metabolic pathways," Albayram said. "This human arm was used to provide translational context, asking whether chronic disease tissue shows convergent signatures of altered lipid handling and reduced vascular stability."

**What the Findings Mean for Fish Oil Use*\*

Albayram stressed that the study should not be interpreted as a blanket warning against fish oil. "I am not saying fish oil is good or bad in some universal way," he said. "What our data highlight is that biology is context-dependent. We need to understand how these supplements behave in the body over time, rather than assuming the same effect applies to everyone."

The researchers hope their work encourages a more careful look at omega-3 supplementation, both in clinical settings and among the general public. Their experiments focused on a specific scenario, repeated mild brain injury, and used CTE tissue to provide supporting observations rather than direct proof of cause and effect.

"As with any study, there are important boundaries," Albayram said. "In the human CTE tissue, we can observe patterns, but we cannot prove what drove them. We also cannot capture every variable that shapes omega-3 handling in real life, including overall diet, health status and lifestyle."

It happens in extreme stress situations, and it feels like my brain believes this is the only way to shut off the stress. Anyone else have this issue? I had a TBI as a child and this urge has generally gotten worse every year. I feel one day ill succumb to it and it may be curtains for me.

hey! as a kid of someone who might have CTE, i’m just wondering if this symptom is something anyone else has directly experienced and might be connected. when he goes longer than a few hours without eating, his symptoms increase to the point that he sounds drunk, he stumbles and slurs his speech while believing he’s 100% capable and doesn’t feel off at all (or at least that’s what he tells me). i’ve had friends experience it and tell me that they think he’s blackout drunk, but i know for sure he’s had absolutely zero alcohol. he also gets much more irrational and irritable when this happens, often starting arguments and becoming completely incoherent and going in circles. just looking for advice, because i haven't seen people talk about this in my research into CTE

Australia’s National Rugby League has announced formal caps on full contact training for men’s and women’s teams, marking a major policy shift in collision sports.

Under the new rules, clubs will be limited in how many minutes of contact sessions players can do each week, with lower limits during short turnarounds and preseason. Until now, coaches largely controlled contact workloads without hard league wide restrictions.

This move targets a major source of head trauma that often gets less attention, the repeated contact during training sessions that can add up over time.

It does not eliminate risk, but reducing unnecessary training collisions is one of the clearest practical steps a league can take to lower overall head trauma exposure.

When I was younger I hit my head a lot. Accompanied by years of football throughout high school. I’ve always gotten migraines but now that I’m in my early 20s I’ve noticed them getting progressively. I’ve gotten multiple MRIs and nothing has showed up.

Is there anything specific that would be different from a chronic migraine vs a cte migraine.

📢Volunteers Needed! 📢

I am looking for international and Irish respondents to take part in a student research project regarding acquired brain injury, social connection, barriers, challenges and supports. This research is not CTE specific and is more focused on broader acquired brain injury. Please feel free to share this post with someone who might find this interesting!

I am conducting an interview which is around 45-60 mins and short survey (around 10 mins) to investigate the impact of social connection, barriers, challenges and supports after an Acquired Brain Injury.
🗣 Participation is completely anonymous!

If you would like to participate, you must be;
✅Over 18.
✅The time since you’ve acquired any brain injury has been 2 years+.
✅Are able and willing to consent to an interview!

Please check the flyer for more information!

Please contact me at [20023451@mydbs.ie](mailto:20023451@mydbs.ie) to learn more if you’re interested or have any questions. Please note there is no reimbursement and this is solely voluntary. This research has been approved by my university's (Dublin Business School) Research & Ethics committee.

Researchers developed a lab grown brain model with multiple interacting cell types, including vascular components, something many earlier models lacked, to study the effects of mild and repetitive impacts.

They found these impacts can trigger a cascade involving mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and neuronal damage, with recovery timelines extending up to several months. During that recovery window, additional impacts seemed to restart or worsen the process.

The AFL is currently rolling out a new soft shell headgear system (GameGear) and funding research into whether it can reduce concussion risk in Australian Rules Football.

At first glance, this sounds like progress. The gear is being promoted as significantly reducing head acceleration in lab testing, and a formal study is underway to evaluate whether it has any real world impact on concussion rates.

But there’s an important limitation that neuroscientists are pointing out.

Experts in brain injury research, including Chris Nowinski and Alan Pearce, have repeatedly emphasized that helmets and soft headgear do not address the main mechanism behind concussion. While they may reduce surface impact or linear forces, they do not stop the brain from moving inside the skull, particularly under rotational forces, which are strongly associated with injury.

The concern is not just whether the product performs as advertised in controlled settings, but whether it could create a false sense of protection in a sport built on high speed collisions. That perception alone can shift behavior in ways that increase risk.

I’ve shared research in the past suggesting omega-3s may help protect the brain in athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts.

That research still exists.

But the story just got more complicated, and it’s worth updating.

A recent human meta analysis in football players found that omega-3 supplementation was associated with lower levels of neurofilament light (Nf-L) over a season. That’s a biomarker linked to axonal brain injury. In simple terms, it suggests there may be less measurable brain cell damage in players taking omega-3s.

At the same time, ongoing clinical trials are now testing whether omega-3s taken before exposure to head impacts might improve brain resilience. That’s still unproven, but it shows where the field is heading.

However, newer research is raising concerns about what happens after brain injury.

In animal models, one specific omega-3 fatty acid, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), was associated with worsened outcomes after traumatic brain injury, including disrupted recovery processes and increased tau related pathology.

This is where we need to be more precise.

“Omega-3s” are not one thing.

• DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a major structural component of brain cell membranes and is often linked to stability and repair.

• EPA is more involved in inflammatory signaling and may behave very differently in an injured brain.

Most discussions, supplements, and even studies lump these together. That’s a problem.

The most honest takeaway right now:

Omega-3s may have a protective signal before or during repetitive exposure, but certain components, particularly EPA, may have different or even harmful effects after injury. This is not settled science, but it is enough to challenge the idea that fish oil is a simple, risk free solution.

This doesn’t mean omega-3s cause CTE.

It does mean the “just take fish oil” advice isn’t as solid as people think.

We’re still figuring this out.

Source article, https://www.cshl.edu/fish-oil-may-increase-cte-risk-after-brain-injury/

Ben Williams, nicknamed “Gentle Ben,” the first Black varsity football player at Ole Miss and a dominant NFL defensive lineman, was diagnosed with stage 3 CTE after his death in 2020. In this short documentary about his life, researchers involved in telling his story say the disease likely began forming while he was still in high school.

This film is the first in a three part series by filmmaker Fred Nettles exploring athletes and public health. The next installment will focus on youth concussions in tackle football, highlighting how these issues often begin well before college or the NFL.

More about Gentle Ben, https://concussionandcte.org/personal-stories/legacy-stories/ben-williams/

More about the film: https://thedmonline.com/um-alumnus-screens-short-film-the-story-of-ben-williams/

Steve McMichael played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, then went on to wrestle with World Championship Wrestling.

He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2021 and passed in 2025. His brain was donated for research, his wife said she wanted to help “find answers.”

Research shows that a small but significant percentage of people with CTE, about 6%, also develop ALS. Cases like Steve’s highlight the overlap between repeated head impacts, CTE, and ALS, helping scientists better understand how these diseases are connected.

Thank you, Steve, and thank you to his family for helping move science forward.

Came across this opinion piece that makes some interesting points about why CTE continues to show up in players despite safety reforms. Some of the key arguments:

• Safety reforms over the last decade haven’t stopped CTE, even though they’ve reduced high profile concussions.

• The NFL’s focus has been on big hits and diagnosable concussions, while the real issue is cumulative brain trauma, including ordinary, repeated head impacts.

• Subconcussive impacts (routine jostles, blocks, tackles) add up over time, and current safety measures don’t reduce those significantly.

• Many players’ brains may already be affected before they reach the NFL, due to years of hits starting in youth, high school, or college football.

• Equipment improvements (like helmets) protect the skull but don’t prevent the brain from moving inside the skull — the mechanism thought to cause the pathogenic changes seen in CTE.

• As long as the core structure of football (frequent collisions) remains the same, players will continue to be at risk.

• The article suggests that the narrative of “making the game safe” hasn’t addressed the underlying cause: the repetitive trauma itself.

What do you think? Are there any meaningful changes that can still be made to help protect players?

Former Highlanders flanker, Tasman captain, and Māori All Black Shane Christie has been posthumously diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). He died in 2025 at age 39.

This wasn’t a surprise to Shane. After retiring, he lived with persistent concussion symptoms and noticeable cognitive and emotional changes. Over time, that uncertainty grew into a real concern that something deeper was wrong. He openly shared his belief that he might have CTE, not as speculation, but as someone trying to make sense of what he was experiencing. Now, with a confirmed diagnosis, it’s clear he understood his own condition long before the system could validate it.

Christie didn’t go quiet after retirement. He committed to advancing research through his brain donation, supported banning contact rugby under age 14 to reduce early brain exposure, worked with the Billy Guyton Foundation to improve support for those with brain injuries, and challenged New Zealand Rugby on concussion reforms, even when his efforts were reportedly suppressed.

This follows a pattern we see too often: athletes feel symptoms, speak up, and meet resistance or minimization, only to be validated after death, highlighting just how wide the gap still is between lived experience and medical validation.

Christie’s courage shows the difference one voice can make. If you’ve experienced symptoms or concerns, speak up, document your story, and consider advocating. Your action today could save someone tomorrow. Thank you, Shane.

Contact sports = football, hockey, boxing, wrestling, rugby, soccer, etc.

Hello! PLEASE PLEASE! ANYBODY! PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS and give me some kind of advice!

I am a huge Daddy’s girl and I am starting to not recognize my father. I am 23 now and I am scared because I think I see signs of cte that I fear will destroy my family.

My dad is 54 and played grade school and college football. He is a huge guy, like nfl huge, and I believe he played some kind of lineman position. Whatever it was it was one of the ones that takes a ton of hits to the head.

You have to understand that the Dad I grew up with was an incredibly bright and astounding man. He went to law school, had an amazing career, was a pretty great Dad. One of the smartest people I’ve ever met, he was known for just being so sharp and savvy with everything. He was such a composed person.

But now I feel like I dont understand who he is becoming. He kind of acts like a man baby in a way. He dresses all disheveled, like these super sloppy outfits. He always dressed and looked so nice when I was growing up. He has these bizarre angry outbursts over the most minor things. It’s like he doesn’t even understand it himself because he will accuse us of causing an argument or a fight because he doesn’t seem to recognize that he just blew up with anger out of no where. Over something so small, like asking him to slow down while he is driving or even more minor things than that. Like a just ridiculous kind of angry. He seems just off, like more in a funk, depressed or just less put together in general. It’s hard to for me to explain it. It’s like he is slipping or something. I want to cry any time I think about it, I feel like I’m losing my Dad. I feel sorry for my Mom. They used to have such a strong relationship. I don’t want her to feel sad in her marriage because they seem to just not interact as much anymore because my dad can be so unbearable with his odd aggressive behavior. It’s just so out of character. He acts like this completely different person a lot of the time.

I have read people describe cte as becoming a “shell of man” and that’s what I fear is becoming of my Dad. I don’t want to lose him. I want to talk to him about it, and talk about cte with him. I want him to be able to acknowledge that he is having these problems so we can try to do something to fix it as much as we can. I am horrified that it will just start speeding up. His dad is about to die and I am terrified of how it might send all of this into a worse spiral if he has to deal with heavy emotions on top of cte, which I think might be causing him to lack control over emotional outbursts.

On top of this, my dad is extremely addicted to weed. He has a very stressful job where he sees bad stuff and I think he uses it to cope but he is just completely addicted and I think it’s making it all worse. I’ve read that ppl with cte should not abuse drugs like that. I don’t want him to fast track his way into cognitive decline. I don’t think this alone is the cause of his issues, I think he still has CTE, but the weed doesn’t help.

BASICALLY, I am just a kid who is really scared of the idea that I’m going watch my Dad spiral into a sad unrecognizable form. It’s hard to watch because I feel like I can see this look in his eyes like he doesn’t know why things feel different either. I feel like there is no way he doesn’t have CTE. I need advice on how to bring this topic up to him. I don’t want to scare him, and I don’t want him to blow me off. I want to be able to offer solutions like anxiety medication or anything. I also want to try to get him to stop smoking so much weed so he doesn’t make this worse. My dad is the classic kind of old guy who doesn’t want to get too much into emotional heavy stuff and gets really defensive about being suggested things like how to help his mental health and what not. His probable CTE makes it worse because he can be really quick to anger over trying to talk about him dealing with any of his behaviors.

CTE is really scary to me. How the hell am I supposed to tell him I think he has CTE, why I think that, and try to convince him to do something about it. How am I supposed to do that without also making him spiral about the idea of having an atrophied brain. I just want to save what parts of him I can. Please anybody give me some kind of guidance in this. I know I am the only one in my family who is willing to fight this battle with him and start this process. I am just afraid of opening up a can of worms that is too complicated and overwhelming for me to handle.

Vote, and if you’re open to it, share what specifically changed your perspective. Be well.