WASHINGTON — As it stands, no one can diagnose CTE in a person while that person is still alive.
A group of doctors, lawmakers and fighters are working hard to change that, and several of them convened on Capitol Hill Tuesday to announce new findings and ongoing support for the science that could one day shed light on a deadly brain condition frequently linked to concussions and sub-concussive trauma.
“We must make sure that young men and women who engage in these sports will not put their lives in jeopardy,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a former amateur boxer and speaker at Tuesday’s event. “That’s what this is all about.”
The event was co-hosted by Bellator MMA and television partner Spike TV, which used the occasion to announce they were renewing financial support for the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study, a multiyear project led by researchers from the Cleveland Clinic and designed to better identify, prevent and treat CTE.
CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) has gained notoriety in recent years mainly because of a string of high-profile tragedies among NFL players. Running back and broadcaster Frank Gifford, linebacker Junior Seau and Chicago Bears great Dave Duerson—the latter two of whom committed suicide—are just a few of the notables diagnosed with CTE after death.
“We’re trying to understand CTE, know how it develops, why it develops and who gets it,” said Dr. Charles Bernick, a neurologist and the lead investigator in the study, which is being undertaken at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. “To do that, we can’t just rely on the government. It’s a tremendous expense.”
The UFC, Top Rank Boxing, Haymon Boxing, the Cleveland Clinic and federal grants combine with Bellator and Spike TV (both of which are owned by mass-media giant Viacom) to fund the ongoing research. Spike and Bellator officials declined to reveal the amount of their financial support.
According to Bernick, the fighter study, which began in 2011, now tracks the brain function of 651 active and retired male and female fighters in MMA and boxing. Although there is no specific end date for the study, it is already producing results.
For example, Bernick revealed that the Nevada State Athletic Commission is set to begin using an iPad app, developed by the Cleveland Clinic, that will conduct complementary or C3 testing to establish and benchmark fighter brain function. This, Bernick said, will make it easier to determine how a given fighter’s brain functions compared with his or her normal “baseline.”
“This cause deserves to be noticed,” said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. “The technology that we have today wasn’t available even five years ago. The fighters deserve to know. They deserve to have the truth.”
Bellator leaders previously took criticism on social media and elsewhere for promoting fights that appeared to disregard brain health. Most recently, a February main event between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie (combined age: 101) raised eyebrows as a potentially dangerous match for both competitors.
Coker addressed that criticism Tuesday, noting that he and other Bellator officials speak with and assess older fighters before booking them to compete.
“If a fight is matched fairly, then the fighters deserve to fight,” Coker said. “[Shamrock and Gracie] are not beginners. …But if I was talking to someone like Royce Gracie and it didn’t sound right, if they were slurring their speech or something like that, maybe we’d suggest they head over to [the fighter brain study].”
Awareness also is growing inside the fighter community. Phil Davis, a college wrestling national champion, former UFC title contender and current Bellator light heavyweight, said gym culture is growing more attuned to brain injury and its long-term risks.
“It’s definitely the elephant in the room,” Davis said. “Five years ago, if you got your bell rung, you needed to sit down, maybe you take a round off. But now, if you get concussed in practice, you sit out the rest of the day, the rest of the week. …It’s never easy, but it’s making the conversation easier to have.”
Austin Trout, former junior middleweight boxing champion, said research like that being conducted by the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study offers peace of mind to those who continue to compete in combat sports.
“I plan on being champion for a long time,” Trout said. “But with this study, I can also be a champion for the right amount of time.”
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