Boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters may see some recovery in their thinking and memory skills as well as brain structure after they stop fighting, according to a new study published in the September 14, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“Repetitive hits to the head increase the risk of long-term neurologic conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), cognitive and behavior problems and parkinsonism,” said study author Aaron Ritter, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada. “However, we haven’t known what happens to people who have been fighting and then stop fighting. The good news is we saw some improvement in thinking and memory scores in these retired fighters.”
For the study, researchers identified 45 male retired fighters who had not competed in two years, with an…
