University of Pittsburgh's National Sports Brain Bank

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 I have written about the NFL's response to concussion data as a case study of how to obfuscate data. This has been covered in many places, including in The Atlantic and on PBS.

In my experience, concussions are a prime source of conversation for traditionally college-aged students. Many of them were high school athletes. Fewer are college athletes. Most college students have personally experienced a concussion or loves someone who has.

Now, the University of Pittsburgh is opening the National Sports Brain Bank. This is for athletes, not just football players. Two former Steelers have promised their brains, as have two scientists who played contact sports. 

Here is a press release from the University of Pittsburgh. Here is a news report featuring the two Steelers who have promised to donate their brains.

However, as described by Aschwander, we still don't know how many football players have CTE (please read this piece, it is such good stats literacy from Aschwander).

How to use this in your class: Read the FAQs to understand their purpose and methodology.


1. Discuss samples and populations.

CTE discussions usually revolve around football players and people in the military. But the true population here are all people in contact sports or may have experienced a concussion.

The study is open to any adult who participated in contact sports, including but not limited to football, soccer, ice hockey, boxing, wrestling, equestrian, motocross, cheerleading and many others. Participants from all levels of play are welcome, including youth sports, high school, collegiate, professional and adult amateur leagues. The study is open to residents from all across the United States. For contact sport participants, it is not necessary to have a history of a known concussion. It is not necessary to have any cognitive or mood symptoms. We welcome symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. Individuals who served in the military or had a concussion from another cause are also welcome to sign up.


2. Sometimes, researchers wish to gather data from people who know you, not just from you. 

You will be asked to provide a study partner, who can answer questions about how well you manage daily activities and if they noted any changes in your thinking abilities, behavior or mood. This can be a relative or someone else who knows you well and interacts with you on a regular basis.


3. Longitudinal research

This research involves gathering baseline information but also data over time. Finally, the big ask is for the participants' brains to be donated for further study after death.

All participants will be asked to provide provisional consent to donate their brains after they pass away for detailed examination by a neuropathologist. The brain autopsy is free of charge and results will be shared with your family.

4. Goals of the research

And HERE is what they want to do, which you can use to talk to your students about consent, bigger sample size, study people with concussions who don't experience CTE, etc.

Increase our knowledge of CTE by inviting former contact sport participants to participate in a long-term observational study. Collect information about symptoms directly from participants and their study partner at baseline and at annual follow-up. Learn more about the frequency of CTE by enrolling participants with and without clinical symptoms. Provide opportunities for interested participants to enroll into companion and follow-up studies. Obtain provisional consent for brain donation. Widely share de-identified data and tissue samples with the research community for further studies into risk and resilience factors and molecular mechanisms of CTE. Participate in collaborative studies with other neuropathologists to refine histopathologic features and diagnostic criteria of CTE and other neurodegenerative processes following traumatic brain injury.

5. Research happens at universities and is multidisciplinary.


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