Dangerous Minds: An Examination of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and Violent Behavior

• In Event: Environmental Influences on the Development of Behavior and Victimization

Abstract

The recent motion picture Concussion (2015), by Columbia Pictures, has served as the catalyst for a resurgence in the general public’s interest in potential biological causes of aggression and violence in human beings. The film is based on the work of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian forensic pathologist who fought against efforts by the National Football League to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a progressive degenerative disease found in people who have suffered a severe blow to the head. The disease was previously called dementia pugilistica (DP), i.e. "punch-drunk", as it was initially found in those with a history of boxing. CTE has been most commonly found in professional athletes participating in American football, ice hockey, professional wrestling, stunt performing, bull riding, bicycle motocross, rodeo, and other contact sports who have experienced repeated concussions or other brain trauma. The clinical features include impairments in mood (depression and hopelessness), behavior (explosivity and violence), cognition (impaired memory, executive functioning, attention, and dementia), and, less commonly, motor functioning (Parkinsonism, ataxia, and dysarthria). The focus of this paper will be how CTE may be the next challenge to the belief of total free will in human beings.

Authors

• Gordon Arthur Crews, Tiffin University

• Stephen Christopher Stanko, Lieber Correctional Institution

• Garrison Allen Crews, Marshall University

• Sara Kathleen Green, Freelance Writer