Pugilistic dementia, boxer syndrome

Dementia pugilistica is a neurodegenerative disorder which has taken on special relevance due to its associated characteristics. Your other nameboxer syndrome gives us a clue about its etiology. The Latin root word boxer It refers to boxing which, on many occasions, is the cause of the disease due to the repeated blows received.

Imagine receiving the number of blows to the head you receive a boxer or a person who plays contact sports Throughout his career it is not easy at all. Even so, it is not so difficult to think about the repercussions that blows can have on the brains of the affected people.

Thus, dementia pugilistica is a disease caused by various multiple traumas and concussions that lead to cortical atrophy of the brain. Let’s dig deeper.

General characteristics of the disease

This type of dementia It was first described clinically in 1928. by pathologist and medical examiner Harrison Martland.

Currently, It is considered a variant of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, although at first there was no difference between one or the other. The distinction between the two became evident when researchers realized that the symptoms of dementia pugilistica occurred in other populations.

A disease that used to be silent

The popularity of boxing at the beginning of the 20th century made many professionals and amateurs turn to the sport. At first, the results were not evident, but as the years went by, cases of people affected in some way increased.

The main symptoms were apathy, psychotic features, loss of coordination and marked global intellectual deterioration.. The scientists were clear, these changes were associated with the repeated microlesions of the brain, the result of concussions.

Development of dementia pugilistica

Atrophy of the cerebral cortex results in a general reduction in the weight of the brain and its metabolism. In general, all brain structures end up being affected, damaging its general functionality.

However, This disease occurs in progressive phases, varying the symptoms:

Early phase. First symptoms of cognitive deterioration as a result of beatings. Although a clear onset has not been established, the disease is usually latent in the first years.Advanced phase. It is speculated that between 12 to 16 years from when the sport began to be practiced. The symptoms already appear clearly, although it cannot yet be classified as dementia.Dementia. The symptoms are already installed and affect the subject’s functionality in every way. The loss of mental faculties, such as memory and reason, become evident and there is a great impact on behavior.

Main symptoms

The symptoms of dementia pugilistica are very varied and they tend to overlap with those of other neurodegenerative diseases. Even so, we find a group of traits very present in affected people that become more accentuated as the disease progresses.

General apathy: lack of expressiveness and emotional interest, accentuated by deterioration in communication skills.Aggressiveness: physical and verbal, highlighting impulsiveness and great irritability.Depression: The progressiveness in which symptoms manifest usually leads to loss of spirit, isolation and hopelessness.Memory: It is mainly affected in day-to-day tasks. The alteration of this function is correlated with difficulties maintaining attention.motor problems: at first they are small mistakes or clumsiness, which little by little evolve into slowness, rigidity and coordination problems.

Main risk factors

The main risk factor for dementia pugilistica is playing a contact sport. So, The deterioration resulting from various injuries does not only occur in boxingthere are other sports with a high incidence of the disease:

American football.Kick-boxing.High-contact sports.Motorized racing sports.

On the other hand, Other risk factors may be:

Start practicing a contact sport from a very young age. Do not use the recommended protection. A long-term sports career. Do not use prevention strategies.

Diagnosis

Dementia pugilistica is not associated with a particular lesion or a specific area of ​​the brain.. For this reason, its diagnosis is very complicated and not very specific.

Behavioral and motor symptoms are usually explored and evaluated by a neurologist and neuropsychologist. Likewise, neuroimaging tools, such as tomography, are used to detect the depth of damage at the brain level.

Treatment

The main treatment is to avoid risk factors. If a sport with the aforementioned characteristics is carried out, it must be carried out with the greatest care and protection.

In the event that symptoms are already presenting, there are two general approaches:

Medicalization: treatment with drugs that act on specific symptoms.Rehabilitation: It must be early and take advantage of brain plasticity. It focuses on giving the patient tools to compensate for motor losses and not lose their functionality.

Some considerations

Dementia pugilistica is a very illustrative example of the effects of not taking care of our brain. The alterations occur in the medium and long term, but the causes are very early.

Although there is usually no real awareness of the damage due to the little immediate impact, Any corrosive activity for our nervous system generates great havoc in the future.. Taking care of your diet and consumption habits is a very important prevention factor for any type of dementia.

Finally, it is advisable to keep in mind that some popular practices are not entirely healthy, especially if the necessary precautionary measures are not carried out. A large percentage of former football players suffer traumatic brain injuries that condition them for life.

Thanks to the advancement of studies and general awareness of these risks, measures such as the compensation that the American federation has paid to former players and investment in research are possible.

You might be interested…