BrainPath

Archive for August, 2011

Brain injury Pacquiao's risks

has fought 305 rounds (Jace McTier)

Analysis: [ Parts ]

Brain Injury and Sports: In an interview with Team Pacquiao ringside physician Dr. Allan Recto, the Texas-based doctor shared his thoughts on brain injuries in boxing:

Boxing is a risky, collision sport which can lead to traumatic brain injuries, or worse, fatality at times. When a boxer gets knocked out, he suffers a concussion or mild brain injury.

Dr. Recto continued:

It is the accumulation of punches or direct blows to the head through the years during training, sparring sessions and actual fights that result in Dementia Pulgistica or Punch Drunk Syndrome which is a disorder that occurs later on with neurologic signs and symptoms of headache, memory loss, confusion, to slurred speech and blurred vision.

Athletes and Head Trauma >

Brain injuries in sports received attention in the fall of 2009 when the United States Congress held a hearing on the issue. The National Football League (NFL) and doctors at Boston University’s (BU) School of Medicine became involved after Tom McHale, a former football player, passed away in May 2008. It was discovered that McHale was the sixth deceased former player found to have a medical condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brain.

>> : (Marv Dumon, 2010)

: This chart () discloses the total number of rounds fought for 13 fighters either known or suspected to have the conditions pugilistic dementia or Parkinson’s disease, except for Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino fighter has fought 305 total rounds in his professional career, and may enter the ring a few more times before retiring from boxing. Two former boxers, Meldrick Taylor and Jimmy Ellis, fought between 300 and 400 rounds in their careers. Both are suffering from pugilistic dementia. Taylor now speaks in a very slurred manner.

Randy Grimes, who used to play for the Tamba Bay Buccaneers, shared his views on brain injury and sports, in an interview with the New York Times:

Its scary its horribly frightening. Ive had my share of concussions, too. More than my share. My wife says I have short-term memory loss. Its really scary to think of what might be going on up there.

Boxers with Brain Injuries: Click Any Image

Many athletes hide or ignore warning signals stemming from a brain injury. In a survey by The Associated Press (AP) in November 3009, 30 of 160 NFL players said that they have either hidden or played down the effects of their concussions. In December 2009, the NFL donated $1 million to BU’s School of Medicine to study brain injuries in football, and is actively encouraging former and current players to posthumously donate their brains to the study.

Currently, there is no large-scale initiative in boxing that encourages boxers to (posthumously) donate their brains to doctors. A similar program could focus research efforts to study brain injuries sustained from the sport over an entire lifetime.

There are nearly 100 retired football players who have been diagnosed with Alzheimers or dementia and who are receiving benefits from the NFL, according to AP. The league is asking their families to consider donating those players brains to the BU study.

>> : fought 406 rounds in his career (ESB)

Pugilistic Dementia >

There are multitudes of former boxers who have been diagnosed with, or suspected to have, pugilistic dementia or Parkinson’s.

The list includes:
Meldrick Taylor (329 rounds)

Jimmy Ellis (343 rounds)

Freddie Roach (406 rounds)

Floyd Patterson (419 rounds)

Jerry Quarry (419 rounds)

Bobby Chacon (436 rounds)

Wilfred Benitez (485 rounds)

Muhammad Ali (550)

Billy Conn (651)

Mike Quarry (678 rounds)

Emile Griffith (1116 rounds)

Sugar Ray Robinson (1403 rounds)

Willie Pep (1956 rounds)

R e l a t e d A r t i c l e

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October 26, 2009

In a study published by The Physician and Sportsmedicine, amateur boxers exhibited decreased performance in planning, attention and memory tasks. Doctors oppose boxing as a sport for the permanence or cumulative effects of fight activity that results in permanent brain damage at even a low frequency and severity of blows to the head, even while . . .

Dr. Recto adds his views:

In boxing, the effects of head trauma and brain injuries may not be seen now or immediately but can show up later in life. There is no direct medical evidence but some researchers have correlated that boxers are at risk for developing Alzheimers and Parkinsons Disease. However, not all boxers develop Parkinsons Disease and not all with Parkinsons Diseases are boxers. Even though theres no actual proof, I think that due to the multiple head blows, boxers will be at increased risk and may suffer from diseases like Alheimers or Parkinsons during their old age, but not all of them will get it.

>> : died at 53 with brain injury (AP)

Rounds Fought >

There have been several fighters that have occupied the pound-for-pound (P4P) throne the past 10+ years. The currently recognized top boxer in the world, the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao, has fought 305 rounds in his professional career, not including amateur bouts and sparring sessions.

If Pacquiao’s upcoming bout with Ghana’s Joshua Clottey goes the full 12 rounds, the “Pacman” will have fought 317 total professional rounds in his career.

These figures understate the head trauma experienced by prize fighters. These do not include Olympic competition, amateur bouts, and sparring sessions. Football players wear helmets with advanced plastics materials and protective designs. Boxers wear headgear. Such equipment do not eliminate the risk of recurring and long-term head injuries. Severity and frequency of blows can still deliver permanent brain injuries despite protective equipment.

>> : (Marv Dumon, 2010)

: Estimated number of sparring rounds () for Manny Pacquiao from his last 20 bouts, assuming 100 sparring rounds per fight.

In his fights with Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and Oscar de la Hoya, Pacquiao sparred an estimated 140+ rounds in preparation for each fight. Assuming the Filipino sparred an average of 100 rounds per fight in his last 20 fights, Pacquiao will have undergone 2,000 sparring rounds since mid-2001.

The prospects appear grim for current or former p4p occupants: Roy Jones, Jr has fought 392 rounds in his professional career (excluding sparring sessions, Olympic, and amateur bouts). Bernard Hopkins has fought 408 rounds. Marco Antonio Barrera has fought 474 rounds . . .

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CLICK News Slideshow: Haiti Earthquake

>> : (AP)

: ( People gather in the street after an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake, the largest ever recorded in the area, rocked Haiti on Tuesday. (AP)

Boxing Fashion: Countrymansfist.com

Movies on IMAX: Click Any Image

Mayweather’s Weight Climb: Click Any Image

Portrayal of “Money” May: Click Any Image

Yuri Foreman: Click Any Image

Click any Image: Jo Koy’s trip to the Philippines (Slideshow)

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January 16, 2010

Virtually the entire boxing community is jaded that Floyd Mayweather, Jr’s demands for additional testing contributed to a cancellation of his fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. Additionally, it is well documented that Mayweather has experienced financial trouble in recent years. We believe Floyd’s troubles . . .

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January 15, 2010

Dear HBO: Save boxing. Sure, Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather, Jr elevates the sport tremendously. However, this is a one-shot benefit. There is a way to more permanently generate recurring benefits. As a for-profit entity, that should also provide your company with recurring cash flow. The answer is innovation. . . .

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January 9, 2010

Floyd Mayweather, Jr was then a 25-year old lightweight who was being promoted by Top Rank’s Bob Arum. In April 2002, he was facing Jose Luis Castillo for the first time. Mayweather was identified by HBO commentators Jim Lampley and former heavyweight champion George Foreman . . .

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January 8, 2010

We explore Floyd Mayweather, Jr’s boxing data from 1996 to 2009 and partially assess his performance as he climbed the weight divisions. He fought within a 20 pound range – on official scales – from 130 to 150 lbs. This spans the super featherweight to . . .

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January 8, 2010

“If you’re rich, you’re a rich n***** . . . If you’re poor, you’re a poor n*****,” proclaimed Floyd Mayweather, Jr (in an interview on ESPN). He continued: “If you’re smart, you’re a smart n*****. At the end of the day, they still look at me as a n*****.” Mayweather went on to complain that HBO and the media was racist towards him: . . .

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January 7, 2010

Boxing’s proposed pound-for-pound showdown between Floyd Mayweather, Jr (40-0) and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2) is a no-go after mediation efforts collapsed on Wednesday. Last ditch efforts to save the super-fight . . .

Marv Dumon on Twitter and Facebook:

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-houston/brain-injury-pacquiao-s-risks