Former NFL player advocating for those with head injuries encouraged answers are being sought

Former NFL player advocating for those with head injuries encouraged answers are being sought DAVID BRANDT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO Open this photo in gallery: Washington Commanders defensive end Casey Toohill (95) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) during a 2023 game in Atlanta. DANNY KARNIK/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Casey Toohill recently announced his retirement after a six-year NFL career and the defensive end admits to playing with a certain amount of “existential dread” when it came to the pounding his brain took during years of competitive football. Sure, he knew of the health risks. But outside of quitting the sport, was there anything anyone could really do about it? Now that his playing days are over, he’s encouraged that answers are being sought. “We have these clinical trials happening – we’re making progress,” said Toohill, now an advocate for former players with head injuries. “We’re trying to help people. We’re not helpless in this situation.” Toohill became a member last month of the advisory board of the Concussion & CTE Foundation, which is joining with Emory University School of Medicine to start a clinical trial on whether an FDA-approved medication called baricitinib that reduces inflammation can improve depression and cognitive symptoms in former football players. The trial comes as medical researchers are trying to pinpoint how to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the living. The degenerative brain disease – which can only be diagnosed after death – has been found in more than 100 former NFL players, casting a pall over the United States’ most popular sports league. “This is a special moment,” said Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation. “This is the scientific community, which is not normally part of the world of CTE research or concussion research, recognizing there’s a problem and stepping forward to provide information. “This will hopefully be the first of many studies showing the scientific community coming to the aid of the football community.” CTE can affect regions of the brain involved with regulating behaviour and emotions. This can lead to memory loss, depression, violent mood swings and other cognitive and behavioural issues, though researchers note these symptoms can also be linked to other illnesses such as…