NIH supports research on traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major public health problem that affects all age groups and is the leading cause of death in young adults, as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of brain degeneration that affects some individuals who suffer progressive, long-term consequences of repeated concussions. This research is aided in part by support from the NFL to the Foundation for NIH's Sports and Health Research Program (SHRP). The NFL's $30 million commitment to this research began in 2014 with two multi-site projects that focus on the brain changes that occur in CTE and six pilot studies that examine how to best evaluate concussion and its effects on the brain: www.ninds.nih.gov/news_and_events/news_articles/pressrelease_nfl_tbi_12162013.htm.
NIH recently awarded a new grant aimed at diagnosing CTE in living individuals. While support for this study was shifted from SHRP to NINDS' appropriated budget, the scientific work is unchanged and on track. Furthermore, NIH looks forward to working with the SHRP and the NFL to help fund future research that is of high importance to the public health.