[Closed] Dave Mirra CTE diagnosis

CTE is starting to become a BIG issue in all sports where there is the possibility of head trauma either through accidents (like BMX) or the nature of the sport (American Football, Rugby, Ice Hockey, Martial Arts).

We are seeing the tip of the iceberg at the moment, the one recurring theme of CTE cases is erratic behavior, memory loss and in a scary number of cases suicide.

As someone who has had concussions, it is quite frankly, terrifying!

The CTE diagnosis makes me wonder about a lot of other BMX riders, Hoffman for one who must have taken more knocks to the head than anyone, and some of the street riders who don't even wear helmets e.g. Jimmy Levan, the last interview I read with him had him acting pretty weird.

Jimmy Levan has always been a bit unhinged....!

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I totally agree with you though. There are a number of *probably considered old school* bmx riders who have had a lifetime of head injuries, Hoffman being a big one as you say. We are really only beginning to see the effects of this, and who knows how many others have suffered without a diagnosis (thinking Colin Winkleman etc..).

What is slightly more reassuring nowadays is that there seems to have been a resurgence of kids wearing helmets to ride bmx street, which is mainly due to a couple of influential pros wearing them (Alex Donnaiche, Kriss Kyle etc) - so a fashion change rather than a concious awakening of the need to keep your head safe.

Aside from CTE it was what happened to Mike Aitken that made me wear a helmet every time i ride a bike, no matter what I'm doing. Seeing your idol growing up reduced to having to learn to walk again (let alone ride) was pretty crushing, and absolutely terrifying to boot.

[url= https://rideukbmx.com/news/ride-classics-mike-aitken-road-to-recovery.html#osCfHcJE5qc4ObxI.97 ]Mike Aitken road to recovery interview[/url]

I lost consciousness in the alps after a bike crash. I was out for most of the afernoon and woke up in hospital.

A few days later I was back on the bike.

I've now learned that is one of the worst things you can do, as it seems it's repeated concussions, before the previous one has healed, that are particularly bad. So if I'd have fallen again, it might have done a lot of damage.

Helmet was worn at all times btw, please don't make this about helmets, it's about repeated concussions, which can still occur with a helmet on - as i found out. You can't just put a helmet on and think everything is now fine.

I've suffered concussion in the past, not just from falling off my BMX. Once I spent a week in hospital asleep, or in a coma or something; IDK, I don't remember any of it. Regardless, I feel like I've not been right ever since.

Helmet was worn at all times btw, please don't make this about helmets, it's about repeated concussions, which can still occur with a helmet on - as i found out. You can't just put a helmet on and think everything is now fine.

Absolutely. Although when talking about bmx in particular, getting people to wear a helmet in the first place is the start of the battle - luckily MTB doesn't have the 'wearing a helmet isn't cool' feature in its culture.

EDIT - but yes, a separate issue compared to repeated knocks

I never knew that it was the repeated nature in a short time span which was the baddy, I thought it was just over a long period of time (i.e. a career). Good info there

Scary stuff.

My son (8yr) was concussed 5 weeks ago. We followed all the advice at hospital and did 2 weeks rest (no sport or anything with a risk of a knock), then 2 weeks ramping things back up, but nothing competitive, then back to normal stuff after 4 weeks including bike races.

Now at 5 weeks in, he's still not right. Trouble sleeping, teachers think he's not quite as sparky, quite argumentative. We've been back and he's passed all the neurological tests. Diagnosis is 'Post Concussion' with a typical recovery period of 4-6 weeks, but can be longer.

Feel like he's running on about 90% at the moment. 😕

Wonder whether you have to be actually concussed to suffer the effects long term? I've had a few bangs tom my head but only one (short) concussion. Is there something specific that happens when you're concussed, or is it just that concussion is indicative of a bad head trauma?

There is also some quite interesting data which links people who have been convicted of violent crime with head injuries in younger life -

Basically if you're in jail for violent there is a higher than average chance you've previously suffered a head injury.

Scary stuff.

It's pretty scary the effects that stuff like this has on us.

I've only had one bad concussion (messed up a drop and was sparko for a couple of minutes) but I was a total space cadet for about two weeks after. At the time you kid yourself that you're fine, but when I look back I wasn't right. If I was that bad after one, God knows what it'd be like after numerous ones.

Wonder whether you have to be actually concussed to suffer the effects long term? I've had a few bangs tom my head but only one (short) concussion. Is there something specific that happens when you're concussed, or is it just that concussion is indicative of a bad head trauma?

No, there is a lot discussion and a growing body of evidence around sub-concussive impacts being a big factor in CTE.

@Yak, I was diagnosed with post-concussive syndrome after a few good knocks to the head. Took a while to get back to what was considered the norm but it happens. The body is pretty good at repairing itself. Your lad will come back.
I don't know how many times I've been concussed but there have been some hefty ones. I'd guess somewhere about 10 serious (hospitalised) ones, and easily the same or double again where just dusted off. Plenty of other things going on with the body to make it a lesser worry.

@shedbrewed - good to hear you've bounced back everytime. Yeah, just a bit of a worry at the moment.
Thanks.

Sobering reading.

I've had numerous concussions and they have definitely affected me.

Most were from biking but a few were from crashes in karts too. Had two in quick succesion (8 weeks apart, one on the bike then fell down some stairs) when I was 17 and my then girlfriend noticed how I changed over the recovery, I wasn't the same afterwards and it led to us splitting up. My friends noticed I was a bit more distant from them too.
Also had two head traumas in 2011, one was crashing on the bike and then I passed out from choking on my food a few months later. The effects of the first crash were still sorting themselves out so after passing out it took months and months for me to get anywhere near normal. The only major effect is that any alcohol now gives me headaches that take days so I no longer drink, even alcohol in mouthwash gives me trouble for an hour or two!!

Current count is 8 seperate head traumas listed on my medical records (plus one CO poisoning). I have regular check-ups and my family are keeping an eye on my behaviour after the docs told them to.

@Yak - good luck to you and your son.

Now at 5 weeks in, he's still not right. Trouble sleeping, teachers think he's not quite as sparky, quite argumentative. We've been back and he's passed all the neurological tests. Diagnosis is 'Post Concussion' with a typical recovery period of 4-6 weeks, but can be longer.

I presume he is off sports again until fully recovered?

No, there is a lot discussion and a growing body of evidence around sub-concussive impacts being a big factor in CTE.

milky1980
one on the bike...fell down some stairs ...crashing on the bike ...passed out from choking on my food a few months later...plus one CO poisoning

Scary stuff indeed.

@freeagent - They are now saying that this could have something to do with [url= http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/01/is-oj-simpson-the-nfls-latest-concussion-casualty/434925/ ]the behavior of OJ Simpson[/url], which of course doesn't excuse it, but may explain it.

@dougal - no, we were told to get things back to normal including sports, but that these final symptoms might linger on a bit.

The best one was knocking myself clean out by riding into the shed* at the bottom of my parent's garden when I was 15, forgot I'd hung a bike frame from the roof and promptly clattered straight into it 😳

* size of a garage but made of reclaimed wood, perfect for a skid into the bike bay at the end 😆

This film (Concussion with Will Smith) was really good and is all about this issue in the NFL. worth a watch if anything as its a good film, but it does highlight the issue:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322364/

@yak
Thanks. Email sent.