Jonathan Huberdeau Pledges Brain to Science for Concussion Research

Calgary Flames' forward Jonathan Huberdeau is the latest hockey player to pledge his brain to science after he dies, offering another specimen for researchers to poke and prod in their journey to curing CTE and other degenerative brain diseases. Huberdeau is the second-ever active NHLer to make the pledge in the name of science.

Head trauma has been a major talking point across all contact sports over recent years, as the long-term effects are still being uncovered. Ranging from cognitive decline to early onset Dementia, the long-lasting burdens from repetitive head trauma is well-studied at this point and extensive in scope. As such, researchers' best chance to fully understand the problem in an applied sense lies in the brains of the affected, so some athletes have pledged to donate their brains to science, hopeful in the efforts to understand and go about diagnosing traumatic brain injuries.

Former New Jersey Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy led the charge when he pledged his brain to science in 2017. The growing number of cases of CTE, a neuro-degenerative disease with no known cure, sparked the promptness with which Lovejoy and others joined the cause. The tricky aspect of CTE is that, as the intelligence stands, it can only be diagnosed posthumously. Requiring proper specimens to study on, other athletes are joining the cause.

Others to make the pledge include Major General (ret) Denis Thompson and former Harvard University team captain Kalley Armstrong--grandaughter of former Maple Leafs captain George Armstrong--whose hockey career was ended due to numerous concussions.

A study conducted by 14 leading researchers asserts that CTE directly correlates with repeated impacts to the head, and that contact and combat sports are disproportionately affected, leading some to the desire to change the way these games are played.

However, there is still so much unknown about brain trauma, and we likely won't see any breakthroughs until more and more affected people dedicate their brains to study. Which is big ask for some people, it's their brain. I can respect that. But in order for society to advance, we need to study the problems facing us today, which means we won't have the answers we want until tomorrow and beyond.

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