Brain-shattering: dangerous sports

Fancy becoming a professional wrestler? You might want to rethink that plan. There is research that shows the brains of some wrestlers have been seriously damaged - thanks to repeated head injuries. When Canadian wrestler Chris Benoit died at the age of 40, doctors found his brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient.

Doctors have a name for the illness: chronic boxer's encephalopathy - or punch-drunk symptom. This happens when a sufferer has received repeated concussive blows, resulting in irreversible damage. That's problems with memory, loss of speech, suicidal thoughts and ultimately dementia. Professional boxers are also at risk.

But chronic boxer's encephalopathy is not restricted to boxers. It is very common in American Football players as well. According to the journal "Science," the average National Football League player gets more than 600 helmet hits a season. Even hard-shelled helmets can't prevent concussion under such circumstances.

The National Football League (NFL) used to deny the existence of the punch-drunk syndrome among its players. But times are changing. They have revised some rules to prevent head-to-head-collisions from happening too often. Meanwhile, researchers are working on palm-sized magnet inserts for helmets. Repellent forces may act to slow down collisions before they occur.

If you want to avoid brain damage, you should also avoid playing hockey: some hockey players have been diagnosed with the disease. The problem with multiple head collisions - accidental or otherwise - is that they lead to an accumulation of dangerous proteins inside the brain.

You might not think of it, but even soccer players can be at risk - when they jump for a header. The forces experienced may seem harmless compared to the brutal hits during an American football or hockey game. But the problem is it all adds up.

Even baseball can be a risky kind of sport. The first baseball player ever to be diagnosed with punch-drunk syndrome committed suicide at the age of 36. The syndrome, however, can only be diagnosed when the patient has died. Only an autopsy can tell how dangerous your favorite sport is for your brain.