Curie Brief
Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
News
Former football players face a double hit: chronic pain and the medications used to treat it are both independently linked to depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and cognitive decline. A new study in Neurology found that each additional centrally acting medication more than doubled the odds of neurobehavioral dysregulation — raising important questions about how we evaluate and treat aging athletes with a history of repetitive head impacts.
A new study published in Neurology suggests that chronic pain and centrally acting medications — not just repetitive head impacts — play a significant role in the cognitive and behavioral symptoms seen in former American football players. Researchers analyzed 236 men, including former professional and collegiate players, and found that both pain severity and medication burden were independently associated with neurobehavioral dysregulation, including depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and aggression.
Former players carried a notably heavier burden across the board: over 40% of collegiate players used at least one centrally acting medication (vs. 12.5% of unexposed men), and mean pain scores were four times higher in professional players compared to controls. Importantly, orthopedic surgery history — another common feature of football careers — was not linked to these outcomes.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Clinicians evaluating former athletes for CTE-related symptoms need to account for chronic pain and medication effects — both of which can mimic or amplify neurological decline. Untangling these factors is critical for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
