Ban fighting in hockey, medical journal urges

Fighting in hockey should be stopped because it leads to head trauma that causes progressive brain damage, says an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

"The tragic story of Sidney Crosby's layoff due to concussions has not been sufficient for society to hang its head in shame and stop violent play immediately," Dr. Rajendra Kale, a neurologist and Interim editor of the CMAJ, wrote in an editorial in the journal’s Monday issue online.

Kale says that a ban should be imposed on all forms of intentional head trauma based on new research from the Boston University School of Medicine that shows the presence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the brains of prominent hockey players Rick Martin, Reggie Fleming and Bob Probert.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease, causes memory problems, changes in personality and mood, Parkinson-like symptoms and changes in speech and gait. Read More