American football tight end whose career and life were marred by crime and tragedy
NFL star Aldon Smith has died after delivering pizzas for a homeless charity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Attorneys say his brain will be examined for CTE as part of ongoing family-initiated investigations into the death.
A new study finds people living within 500 feet of a dry cleaner have higher odds of Parkinson’s disease, with risk peaking at very close proximity. The analysis points to chemical exposure, notably trichloroethylene, as a potential factor. The findings echo growing concern about environmental contributors to neurological illness.
Researchers have examined brains from 235 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 and have confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in 215. Including all 878 players who died in that period, the team has calculated a conservative minimum prevalence of CTE of 24.5% at death and urged prevention to cut repetitive head impacts.