Immediate complications of traumatic brain injury are well recognised and generally appropriately addressed in sport. Of greater concern is the potential accumulative damage caused by repeated minor trauma. In a BJGP editorial in 1999 while medical officer for Exeter City football club, I raised concern over repeated heading of the ball.1 This year, the Football Association (FA) has embarked upon a programme to identify the extent of the problem, but why has it taken almost 20 years to get to this point and what do we advise our patients?
LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative condition first identified in boxers, characterised by mood, behavioural, and cognitive deficits. The natural history of the condition is unknown, …