A new study suggests a strong correlation between the age at which some athletes begin playing tackle football and the onset of behavioral and cognitive problems later in life, findings that become significantly more pronounced for those who take up the sport before age 12.
Researchers concluded that for every year younger an athlete begins to play tackle football, he could experience symptoms associated with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy 2 1/2 years earlier. Those who begin playing before age 12 could start experiencing symptoms more than 13 years earlier.
The study was published Monday in the Annals of Neurology journal and was conducted by researchers with the Boston University School of Medicine and the VA Boston Healthcare System, including some of the leading CTE researchers, such as Dr.