ST. GEORGE, UT - In recent years, a lot of attention has been cast on brain injuries and brain trauma that can occur in sports. Many have seen the award-winning 2015 film Concussion starring Will Smith and focusing on trauma experienced by players in the National Football League. Of course, head and brain injuries are not exclusive to American football and can occur in any sport and in daily life.

In an effort to lead the world in active aging, and recognizing the importance of the health and wellness of senior athletes everywhere, the Huntsman World Senior Games has partnered with Boston University (BU) for research opportunities in the area of head and brain injuries.

“Our research has shown that participation in contact and collision sports like American football, ice hockey, soccer, rugby and others can have long-term effects on the brain including resulting in progressive brain conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),” said Dr. Mike Alosco, Associate Professor of Neurology, Co-Director of Clinical Research at the BU CTE Center. “Through our various research studies, we hope to develop methods for early detection and diagnosis of these brain conditions so that we can intervene early enough to influence outcomes positively as these athletes age.”

BU and the Games will partner for multiple studies, the first of which is call HITSS or Head Impact & Trauma Surveillance Study. This study focusses specifically on anyone 40 years of age or better who has played tackle football or soccer at any level (youth, high school, college or even pro).

“We see this partnership with Boston University as a vital way to gain valuable information about brain health among athletes, especially as they age,” said Games CEO, Kyle M Case. “We encourage all of our athletes who spent any time on the gridiron or a soccer field to participate in this research.”

Dr. Alosco added, “At the BU CTE Center, we are committed to educating and caring for former and aging athletes and their brain health. Partnering with the Huntsman World Senior Games to bring our research opportunities to their senior athletes aligns directly with this mission. Their participant base, which includes contact and non-contact sport athletes, is the ideal population for comparing brain health across these different groups. This will allow us to better understand the effects of playing contact and collision sports on an aging brain so that we can hopefully help keep athletes safe and prevent these conditions from happening in the future.”

The goal is to find out the long-term brain health risks from repetitive head impacts in soccer and tackle football. Participants who complete the entire survey will have the opportunity to win a $500 gift card and also contribute to the knowledge base that could potentially lead to diagnosis and a cure for CTE.

To participate in the study, scan the QR code on the flyer below or visit hitss.org.

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The Huntsman World Senior Games: The Senior World Championships is the largest annual multi-sport event in the world for athletes over the age of 50, hosting more than 11,000 participants, every October, competing in their choice of 35 plus different sports. The Games are made possible through the generosity of partners such as the Huntsman Foundation and Balance of Nature.