Study of Professional Boxers Shows Changes in Brain Even Before Symptoms Appear

When boxers come to Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Charles Bernick, MD, and his colleagues ask them several questions, including: “How many times have you been knocked out cold or gotten a concussion?” Most respond, “Never.” However, when asked how many times they felt dazed or stunned, most say, “Many times.”

These results are part of the now year-old Professional Fighters Brain Health Study of 109 fighters — more than have ever been compiled in a single research project. The principal finding of the research, according to Dr. Bernick, is that “there are detectable changes in the brain even before symptoms appear,” such as memory loss or other changes in cognitive function resulting from repeated blows to the head.

For more information, click here to read the full article in The New York Times.