Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was first
diagnosed in an NFL player in 2002, and it has
since been confirmed by postmortem examination
in dozens of American athletes. The physician who
made the initial discovery, forensic neuropathologist
Bennet I. Omalu, MD, MBA, MPH, overcame
massive efforts to discredit him and his research,
and today CTE is widely recognized as a health risk
in millions of patients with histories of repetitive
brain trauma, including military veterans. The AMA
on Saturday honored Dr. Omalu with its
Distinguished Service Award during the opening
session of the 2016 AMA Interim Meeting, in
Orlando, Fla.
diagnosed in an NFL player in 2002, and it has
since been confirmed by postmortem examination
in dozens of American athletes. The physician who
made the initial discovery, forensic neuropathologist
Bennet I. Omalu, MD, MBA, MPH, overcame
massive efforts to discredit him and his research,
and today CTE is widely recognized as a health risk
in millions of patients with histories of repetitive
brain trauma, including military veterans. The AMA
on Saturday honored Dr. Omalu with its
Distinguished Service Award during the opening
session of the 2016 AMA Interim Meeting, in
Orlando, Fla.
Dr. Omalu was working as a forensic
neuropathologist in Pittsburgh when he conducted
postmortem examinations of former NFL offensive
lineman Mike Webster’s brain and spotted what
would become the hallmarks of CTE.
“[W]hen I looked at his brain and he had diffuse
amyloid plaques everywhere and there were no
neuritic plaques … I took the slides home with me,”
Dr. Omalu said in a 2015 interview. "I spent six
months with those slides. I saw tau randomly
situated, and not reminiscent of any other dementia
that I knew. My first reaction, when I went to the
literature, was that I expected to find previous
reports like this, but I didn’t find even one.”
He had the case published in 2005 and went on to
identify CTE in postmortem examinations of
numerous other former NFL players.
Dr. Omalu initially thought the league would be
pleased to learn of his findings, but when they were
presented at an NFL meeting on concussions in
2007, they were dismissed, and the league—through
lawyers, physicians and other experts—went on to
mount a coordinated effort to discredit Dr. Omalu
and his research.
At the time, the Nigerian-born Dr. Omalu was not a
U.S. citizen, and his immigration status was
dependent on his continued employment. He stuck
to his findings in the face of intense pressure, and
in 2009—seven years after his discovery—the NFL
relented and publicly acknowledged the link
between concussions sustained in football and CTE.
“Because of the service Dr. Omalu has rendered to
every player and every family member in the
football and other sporting communities, I am
delighted to present him, on behalf of the AMA,
with the Distinguished Service Award—our highest
honor,” AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, MD,
said in a statement. “His meritorious service is all
the more remarkable given that Dr. Omalu was
relatively junior at the time of his discovery, having
only completed his pathology residency a few years
prior to describing CTE.”
Dr. Gurman said he strongly believes “that Dr.
Omalu—by his work, determination and dedication—
strongly exemplifies the best of American
medicine.”
Nominated by the AMA Board of Trustees and
endorsed by the House of Delegates, the
Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member
of the AMA for meritorious service in the science
and art of medicine.
A 20-year member of the AMA, Dr. Omalu attended
medical school at the University of Nigeria Nsukka
at 16. He became a U.S. citizen in 2015 and now
serves as chief medical examiner for the San
Joaquin County Coroner’s Office in California and is
a clinical associate professor in the University of
California, Davis, Department of Medical Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine.
The story of Dr. Omalu’s CTE research and the
pressure he faced from the NFL inspired the 2015
film “Concussion,” in which he was portrayed by
Will Smith.
At the 2016 AMA interim Meeting, delegates will
consider urging further research into the causes and
potential treatments for CTE. There is a high burden
of risk of CTE in the U.S., with an estimated 1.6
million to 3.8 million concussions occurring each
year, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Research at institutions such as the
Boston University CTE Center is investigating
methods for antemortem diagnosis of CTE. The
symptoms of CTE—which include worsening
attention, concentration and memory—are insidious,
sometimes occurring more than 10 years after the
inciting event.
https://wire.ama-assn.org/ama-news/physician-
who-discovered-cte-nfl-players-gets-ama-s-highest-
honor
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