675 million cap on concussion related claims available to thousands of players as part of a major lawsuit. And so without objection i will enter the nfl statement in the record. And part of what were going to discuss today is traumatic brain injuries, a bump, a blow, a jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal flow the normal function of the brain. More mild tbis, more commonly referred to as concussions, have been the center of increasing discussion within the Sports Community in recent years as a growing number of current and former athletes say theyre suffering from memory loss and other impairments caused by repeated blows to the head. And, of course, we are seeing the tbis that are coming home from overseas with our men and women in uniform, and the performance of their duties as well. The centers for Disease Control and prevention have looked at 1. 6 to 3. 8 million sports and recreation related tbis, and they say that they occur in the u. S. Each year. Such head injuries are not limited obviously to just one sport. They occur in a wide range of sports, and most recently reminded of that in the story from the New York Times with a graphic pictures of the games going on in brazil right now in which one of the soccer players was completely knocked out. Over the last few years, much has been done to increase awareness of the risks posed by sportsrelated concussions. And, thanks to a number of partnerships and initiatives, research is underway to help us better understand the cause and the longterm impact of concussions and what we can do to prevent them. And these initiatives involve a number of organizations. So while we are making progress, its important to note that much more research is needed. And to see all of the links to other things such as alzheimer alzheimers. And so today were going to hear from to former professional athletes who had their careers cut short due to concussions, and now theyre going to wonder about their function in the future. Going to take testimony from two prominent medical researchers who will discuss the latest research. And im going to give that privilege of introduction to senator warren after i turn to our great Ranking Member, senator collins. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. I very much appreciate your calling this important hearing so that we can better explore the relationship between traumatic brain injury and diseases associate with aging such as alzheimers, parkinsons and lou gehrigs disease, also known as als. Traumatic brain injury, or tbi, affects five million americans at an annual cost of more than 76 billion. As the senate cochair of the alzheimers task force, i am particularly interested in the Research Conducted over the past three decades that has linked moderate and severe traumatic brain injury to a greater risk of developing alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. One troubling study cited by the Alzheimers Association found that older individuals with a history of moderate traumatic brain injury are more than twice as likely to develop alzheimers than seniors with no history of brain injury. Those with a history of severe traumatic brain injury were found in this study to have a 4. 5 times greater risk. Finding a way to prevent and effectively treat alzheimers disease is among my highest priorities as a senator, and has been a focus of this committees work. In many ways, alzheimers is the defining disease of the baby boom generation. If we are to prevent it from becoming the defining disease of the next generation, we must strengthen our commitment to research leading to a better understanding of this devastating disease. While researchers still have a great deal to learn about how head injuries affect an individuals risk of developing neurologic diseases like alzheimers later in life, there is increasing evidence of a relationship. Women even more than men may be more likely to experience longterm symptoms, such as cognitive and visual impairments, after sustaining a serious head injury. We know that currently, almost twothirds of americans living with alzheimers disease are women. There are many Important Research projects being conducted on tbi and the link to neurological diseases. For example, the National Institutes of health and the National Football league have embarked upon a 60 million, fouryear, Publicprivate Partnership to advance research that may lead to the improvement of tbi diagnosis through better imaging technologies, and also improve treatment for those who have sustained serious head injuries. Indeed, while those who have participated in Contact Sports or served in the military may face a particular risk for tbi and related health conditions, the leading cause of tbi among seniors is falls. According to the cdc, individuals over age 65 have the highest rates of tbirelated hospitalizations and death. More research is required to establish definitively that there is a link between head injuries and neurological diseases, but it is clear that this Important Research could lead to a better understanding of such devastating diseases as alzheimers, parkinsons and als. This Critical Research could also benefit our veterans and troops on the ground, far too many of whom have experienced tbi and its painful lasting effects. Again, mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing. With a great panel of witnesses, and i look forward to getting their insights in learning more about the Current Research on this topic. Thank you, senator collins. I want to specially recognize kevin turner. Kevin was a star fullback at the university of alabama. He played eight seasons with the new England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles in the 1990s. Since being diagnosed in 2010 with als, lou gehrigs disease, kevin has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the disease and its possible connection to traumatic brain injuries. And so, kevin, we thank you very much for being with us here today. Thank you. [applause] senator warren, if you will introduce two of our panelists. I will do that. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member collins, for having this hearing today. I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce dr. Robert stern and chris nowinski, codirectors of the Boston University center for the study of traumatic encephalopathy. Dr. Stern is a professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Boston University school of medicine, and he is the director of the clinical core of the Boston University alzheimers disease center. He received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and his masters and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from the university of rhode island. Before joining the Boston University school of medicine he served on the faculty of Brown Medical School and the university of North Carolina school of medicine. Dr. Sterns research has led to more than 250 peerreviewed publications and has helped us to better understand the effects of trauma and aging on the human brain. Now, he is here today with mr. Nowinski who is the cofounder and executive director of the sports legacy institute. This is a Nonprofit Organization that is focused on addressing the issue of brain trauma through education, policy, and through research. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University where he played defensive tackle for the football team. And after college mr. Nowinski became a professional wrestler, and his own experience in that sport with head trauma like integral found the sports legacy institute. He currently serves as an advisor on the Nfl Players AssociationMatthew WhiteTraumatic Brain Injury Committee and the ivy league multisport concussion committee. Crist has received numerous accolades, including a trendy Sports Academy distinguished Service Award for his work advocating for improving Safety Standards in sports. I am very pleased that dr. Stern and mr. Nowinski are here with us today. I know they will add enormously to our discussion, so thank you both. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And its my pleasure to introduce ben utecht, who is a former nfl tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts. And if i recall, you were on one of those teams that went into the playoffs, and perhaps you can tell us the rest of that story. And doctor Jacob Vanlandingham is the director of Neurobiological Research at how household tallahassee Memorial Hospital and he is a professor at Florida State universitys college of medicine. So what we will do, we will start with you, mr. Nowinski, and just go right down the list what youre written statement is entered into the record, so if you would just share with us for a few minutes, and then we will get into questions. Mr. Nowinski. Thank you for the wonderful introduction, senator warren. Chairman nelson, Ranking Member collins and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to speak today. My name is chris nowinski. Unfounded executrix of the sports legacy institute, Nonprofit Organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis through education, policy research. I have a personal relationship with concussion. Tremendous concerns ive increased my risk of developing a degenerative brain disease in the future. Its my hope this hearing raises awareness of the urgent need for funding for research on traumatic brain injuries as well as vitamins opportunities we have for the prevention of the longterm consequences. I never had a second thoughts tt about confessions or brain injuries until i was 24. Playing High School Football and then at harvard. I became a professor with the wwe and ag i get to travel the world playing a bad guy or a heel who would insult the fans intelligence and she to win. It was a performance to entertain our fans and it was a lot of fun. But in a match i was kicked in the head by my opponent, and my world immediately change. My head became throbbing, everything got foggy and most important i forgot the script. I could remember how were supposed to finish the match. After the match ou i stop by our athletic trainer who asked if i was all right. I like and i said im fine. Even though the headache was killing me. The symptoms that expand beyond daily headaches to include depression and sleep walking and it would not go away but i lied for five weeks thinking i was doing the right thing. I met dr. Robert can who helping understand all the beings and all the bellringers ive been getting over the years were actually confessions. To think that 24 i was learning for the first time how fragile my brain was in a critical wrestling with. And now i am a at a high risk for developing degenerative brain disease. My ignorance cos caused the mic, five years of my health, and i dont know what its going to cost in the future. But chronic traumatic encephalopathy is what i fear most of it was first named punchdrunk in 1920 and large was ignored. In the last they could realize it obvious sex, weve known it affects boxers but now we know it affects other athletes, military veterans can even members of the general public. Since we cant diagnose individual people we dont know how many people have it but early evidence indicates its not insignificant. Our brain bank, 58 of the 62 brings a former nfl players study have been found positive for this disease. And Young Athletes as young as 17. Dr. Lakey is connected to motor neuron disease. Having my friend kevin kerner in the room who is courageously taken on this issue. Aldie for the rest of the science to my friend, dr. Stern. We need answers quickly. We dont know how big this problem is. It may be massive with 1. 7 going to be ice a year, at least 3. 8 million confessions. Where to recognize Contact Sports are evolves and we still dont know what the full light effects are exposing children to repetitive the brain, because todays seven year olds, not the ones were going to be. Football helmets were different so please didnt hit others in a. Soccer was not as popular as we dont with effects of a lifetime of headers are. We dont know these answers. It is a Public Health crisis. While we work to individually fund more work and we applaud the state laws that a change that would play sports, its not enough. One of the things i do is i train wwii wrestles on concussion, which is fun. We think we can train adults even though its difficult if we dont know if we can train children. The reality is we dont know, we have kids playing Contact Sports who dont recognize when they have concussion, and that of a dock on the sideline and that means with all the changes weve made, cte will continue to be a problem and will be a problem for our military veterans. A new initiative was announced today that would hope will prevent this weekend up with the santa clara institute of sports law and ethics on a camping to educate parents and coaches on the risk of heading in soccer before high school. Were joined by Womens National team plays, former National Team players brandi chastain, cindy, who won the 99 world cup along with our medical doctor to say the rally is we dont need the header token. The current guideline is 10. It may start earlier but it shouldnt happen. So to conclude we must not underestimate the longterm effect of brain injuries. With one in four boys and one of 16 girls playing Contact Sports were putting a lot of children at risk of cte but we owe them a soldier military veterans greater investment in to find ways to effectively minimize the negative consequences of this inevitable brain trauma. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Nowinski. Mr. You check. Well, first of all thank you so much for this opportunity. Is truly a privilege to be here before you to speak about something that is impacted my life in ways that are very scary and unknowns that as a husband and father have put me in a situation where i dont know what my future is going to look like. As a river kid from a small town in minnesota, i dont know how it happened but i found my way into the nfl. Six years, i had an opportunity to play in the super bowl championship of 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts wer why wentn to play two years with the Cincinnati Bengals. I am now a husband and a father of three beautiful girls. So thankfully i dont have been Football Players in the family right now, but the new perspective of a father has really become a part of my life. Right now ive just taken a National Sports initiative for the American Academy of neurology, 27,000 now make up the academy. They are the league in neurology in the world along with a national foundation, the american brain foundations goal is to cure brain disease through exactly what chris talked about, the importance of raising money for research. I hope i never forget the night of federal fourth, 2007. It was an amazing night in miami, florida, assistant on to the dolphins stadium come onto the biggest age in the world. I dont even know how to put into words, over 109 people tuned in to watch the Indianapolis Colts face off against the chicago bears. Ill never forget the two weeks prior, our kicker telling the team, dont you dare blink at kickoff. Adam has already won three super bowls so he is quite the experience. But there i am on the field standing in between future hall of fame cornerback Peyton Manning and future hall of fame coach tony dungy. I remember adams words, dont you dare blink at kickoff. So theyre adding is walking off the steps, the whistle blows, his hand drops in the releases the players. He places his foot on the ball, and i have never in my life seen so many flashing lights. I mean, it would rival the experience of neil armstrong. It truly felt like i was dancing with the stars. It was the greatest expense of my life. We won the game 2917, and forever i will be able to wear this ring on my finger and remember that king. It was a dream come true. Two years later that dream was shattered. When i woke up face down on a Training Camp field and georgetown kentucky being strapped to a board and put onto an ambulance. Because of my fifth documented concussion. For the first time in my life my brain became a priority. And the reason why became a priority is because at 29, i started to have memory problems. And it took losing my mind to care about my mind. My memories begin to fade away. In fact, one story ive shared is going home to minneapolis and spending time with friends of ours, my wife and i, sitting around a table, and that, my friend brought up his wedding and i said, why wasnt i able to be there . I got the strangest look from him. The