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Head Injury and Lou Gehrig's Disease - Is There a Connection?

Many Kansas City baseball fans are familiar with the legendary career of Lou Gehrig. Nicknamed the Iron Horse, the New York Yankee first baseman found his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame after a record setting career spanning more than a decade. The former American League MVP is known for his 493 career home runs, .340 batting average, and for the mysterious illness that took his life.

Gehrig entered the 1938 baseball season as he had every other season since his debut in the major leagues in 1923. By mid season though, is was clear that Gehrig was no longer the powerhouse he had once been. He was plagued by a loss of the power that had made him famous. He battled with coordination issues; the record setting ball player was tripping over curbs. Something was clearly wrong. The unnamed illness cut short Gehrig's stellar baseball career after robbing the world-class athlete of his motor skills, and ultimately claimed his life two years later. Lou Gehrig was 37 years old when he died.

Often referred to simply as "Lou Gehrig's Disease", the debilitating condition is technically termed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) by the medical community. The disease gradually impairs the organs of the body until the patient is no longer able to breathe without assistance. The progress is steady; paralysis is the eventual result. Only the brain remains unaffected, allowing the patient to be completely aware of the extent of the debilitation.

Is it possible that the condition Lou Gehrig suffered from may have been brought on by repeat blows to the head during his athletic career? A team of investigative reporters, headed by journalist Bryant Gumbel, looked into the research of a neurology professor at Boston University. Dr. Ann McKee has studied the effects of head injury on the brain. Her research shows that concussive head trauma causes the release of toxic proteins in the brain. These toxic proteins are capable of damaging neural functions later on. Although rare, Dr. McKee's research shows that some toxic protein can slip past brain membranes and into the spinal cord. Though the research is years from making a direct link between previous brain injury and ALS, Dr. McKee have begun the process of studying the brain tissue of young athletes who died from ALS.

Symptoms of ALS normally begin for patients in their mid-sixties. Interestingly though, the disease is striking football and soccer players, as well as boxers, in their thirties and forties. In fact, the rate of the disease is 10 to 23 times higher than in the rest of the general population.

Time will tell if there is a definite correlation between sports brain injuries and the onset of ALS symptoms. In the meantime, it is imperative to protect the head from injury at all times while on the playing field. Traumatic brain injuries already carry serious ramifications that can last for years. If there is a connection, the loss of such greats as Lou Gehrig begs the question, was the sport worth it? Is there a better way to prevent repeat head injury in athletes?

If you or a loved one have been affected by a traumatic brain injury, the questions surrounding the future can be tough to handle. The Kansas City brain injury lawyers at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys offer a no cost, no obligation initial consultation. Call Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys at 888-348-2616 for more information.

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• Posted on 12/26/2011Student Athletes Discussing How Concussions Affect Them Can Help Student Athletes in Kansas and Missouri
• Posted on 11/16/2011NCAA Faces Lawsuit Alleging Lack of Protection for Athletes from Head Injury

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