Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s Diagnosis May Be Linked to His Concussion History

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre may be living with the neurological repercussions of repeated head trauma. During congressional testimony last week, Favre revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease, a condition that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.

Favre had, years earlier, told NBC News that the many concussions he experienced over his two decades in professional football may have played a role in his forgetfulness and overall cognitive decline.

Last week also saw the publication of a new study in JAMA Neurology involving nearly 2,000 former professional football players. More than a third said they believe they have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder that affects people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries.

Concussions and Parkinson’s Disease

Favre’s diagnosis does not surprise Parkinson’s experts. “There’s a strong correlation between getting your head hit a lot and having neurological symptoms,” says Ihtsham Ul Haq, MD, the chief of the movement disorders division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

A study published in 2020 showed that even a single concussion could increase the likelihood of later being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease by as much as 57 percent.

“The question becomes: Is the trauma creating the disorder or is it accelerating a problem that was already beginning?” says Dr. Haq, who was not involved in the 2020 study. “Parkinson’s disease, like other brain diseases, comes from gradual damage to the nerve cells, and damage from repeated head injury may allow Parkinson’s disease to show itself more quickly or more easily than it would have otherwise.”

Because positive health behavior changes have been shown to possibly slow the effects of neurological disorders, the authors of the 2020 study advise people who have suspected CTE to pursue interventions including weight loss, exercise, improving sleep, and implementing a low-salt diet.

Treating conditions that may affect the brain, such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, and low testosterone may also help, according to the researchers.