Can I have your brain? The quest for truth on concussions and CTE | Chris Nowinski

譯者: Thomas Tam 審譯者: Helen Chang

I'm Chris Nowinski, and odds are if you've met me in the last five years

我是克里斯·諾因斯基， 如果你在過去的五年中曾遇見我，

I've asked you, after a few minutes, a bit of an odd question:

很有可能在我們交談幾分鐘後， 我問了你一個怪問題：

Can I have your brain?

「可以把你的大腦給我嗎？」

Now, it only seems like a strange question if you don't know my story

如果你不知道我的故事， 那就看似是個怪問題，

so please let me share it with you.

讓我與你們分享吧。

I grew up outside of Chicago, and I was an athlete

我在芝加哥郊區長大， 是一名運動員，

and I was very lucky to get recruited to play football at Harvard University.

我很幸運地被哈佛大學錄取踢足球。

So that's me.

那就是我。

And then after graduating, like most Harvard graduates,

畢業後，像大多數哈佛畢業生一樣，

I decided I wanted to join the WWE.

我決定加入世界摔角娛樂圈。

So that's also me.

所以那也是我。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

當然你還記得 2002 和 2003 年的 Monday Night Raw，

Sure you remember me from Monday Night Raw in 2002 and 2003,

and I had a blast

我造成極大的迴響，

playing what people affectionately like to call

扮演大家喜愛的常春藤名校勢利鬼

Chris Harvard, the Ivy League snob.

克里斯·哈佛。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It was perfect for me.

對我而言，那角色非常完美。

But unfortunately,

但不幸的是，

I got kicked in the head by my colleague Bubba Ray Dudley,

我的頭給拍擋 布巴‧雷‧達德利的腳踢中了，

and I suffered a severe concussion.

我遭受嚴重的腦震盪。

And it led to what became permanent postconcussion symptoms:

導致永久性的腦震盪症候群症狀：

constant headaches, inability to sleep, depression, feeling in a fog.

持續頭痛、難以入睡、 抑鬱、感覺迷迷糊糊。

And in that first year,

而在第一年裡，

I tried to figure out how could I make this pain go away.

我試圖消除這痛苦，

And I wasn't getting the answers I needed from doctors,

醫生沒給我需要的答案，

and so I started digging into the medical literature.

所以我開始深入研究醫學文獻，

And I found there's this whole story about concussions

發現了關於腦震盪

that we weren't really being told.

原先未知的完整事實。

So I decided to write a book about it,

所以我決定為此寫一本書，

called "Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis"

書名是「頭部遊戲： 美式足球的腦震盪危機」，

that came out in 2006.

在 2006 年出版。

But in that process, I learned it's not really just about concussions.

但在寫作的過程中， 我了解到不僅是腦震盪而已，

I learned about a disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.

有一種稱為「慢性創傷性腦病」 或 CTE 的疾病存在。

What we used to call punch-drunk, because we only knew about it from boxers.

過去只知道是拳擊手的頭 受到重擊而醺醉的現象。

We knew that getting hit in the head too many times with boxers

由於拳擊手頭部被多次擊中，

would cause their brain to essentially start to rot, to degenerate.

會導致他們的大腦開始損壞及退化。

And they'd have symptoms

他們會有一些症狀

like memory problems and problems with cognition,

像記憶和認知問題、

depression, impulse control issues, aggression.

抑鬱、衝動控制問題，及侵略性。

So basically, I got ...

基本上，我得知......

我的受傷時間剛剛好，

I got injured at the right time,

in which the first two NFL players were studied for this disease.

有兩名前 NFL 球員， 因為這種疾病而被研究。

And it turned out they both had it.

結果證明他們都有 CTE。

The first was Mike Webster, 50 years old, already had dementia.

第一人是邁克‧韋伯斯特， 50 歲已經患有失智症。

The second, Terry Long, 45 years old when he took his life.

第二人是特里‧龍， 於 45 歲時自殺。

The medical examiner in Pittsburgh decided to look at their brains

匹茲堡的醫學檢查員 決定查看他們的大腦，

and found this disease.

發現他們有這種病。

I wrote a chapter about it,

我為此寫了一章，

and I thought people would make a big deal out of it.

以為人們會反應強烈。

But shockingly, even when the first two cases came in positive,

但令我震驚的是 即使有前面兩個陽性的病例，

there was never a national news story about this,

從來沒有全國性的新聞

what's going on in football with these cases of CTE.

報導足球界的這些 CTE 案例。

So the book comes out,

這本書上架了，

not a whole lot is happening,

沒多少事發生。

and one day I read the newspaper -- November 20, 2006.

有一天我在讀報紙── 當時是 2006 年 11 月 20 日，

I find out that Andre Waters just took his life.

發現安德烈·沃特斯剛自殺。

Those of you who know football,

對足球熟識的人，

Andre Waters was someone I grew up watching.

像我就是看著安德烈·沃特斯長大的，

Former Philadelphia Eagles strong safety,

他曾是費城老鷹隊堅固的防守後衛，

[44] years old, a Division II football coach

在 44 歲擔任乙級足球教練時

when he decided to put a gun to his head.

舉槍自殺。

In the article they reminded me, his nickname was Dirty Waters.

報導中提及他的綽號是 「骯髒的沃特斯」，

He was known for leading with his head,

以頭先行防守而聞名，

so I thought I'm just going to look up

這使我想查查看

他是否曾經談及自己腦震盪的事。

did he ever talk about the concussions he had.

我找到沃特斯在 1994 年的一段話：

And I found a quote from 1994 where Andre Waters said,

"I stopped counting my concussions at 15.

「15 次腦震盪後我就不再數了。

I wouldn't say anything, I'd just sniff smelling salts and go back out there."

（撞了頭後）我什麼都沒說， 僅聞聞嗅鹽提提神就又回球場。」

And I thought, I wonder if he might have CTE, too.

我納悶他是否也有 CTE，

If that might have contributed to whatever made him choose to end his life.

那會不會是造成他 選擇自殺的部分原因。

So I ended up calling the doctor who did the first two studies, and I said,

所以我後來打電話給之前 做兩項研究的醫生，我說︰

"Hey, I think you should study Andre Waters."

「嘿，我認為你應該研究 安德烈‧沃特斯。」

And he said, "I'd be happy to.

他說：「我很樂意。

The problem is, the first two cases died in the county in which I work,

但問題是，前兩次死亡個案 發生在我工作的郡，

and I could study them as part of my job.

我的工作範圍許可研究它們的情況。

I can't do that with Andre Waters, he died in Florida.

沃特斯在佛羅里達州去世， 我沒法處理。

If you want me to study him, you're going to have to figure out

如果你想讓我研究他的情況，

就必須想辦法讓我取得他的大腦。」

how to get me the brain."

So I said, "OK.

我說：「好的。

How does one get a brain?"

如何取得大腦？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I racked my brain

我絞盡腦汁，

and I thought, why don't I call the medical examiner

想到，何不打電話給法醫？

who I think has the brain right now?

大腦現在應該在他那裏。

So I called up the medical examiner in Florida, and I said,

我打電話給佛羅里達州的法醫，

說：「嘿，你不認識我，但 安德烈‧沃特斯的腦還在你哪兒嗎？」

"Hey, you don't know me, but do you still have the brain of Andre Waters?"

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And he said, "Yes, I do."

他說：「是的，在這裡。」

I said, "OK, are you going to study him for CTE?"

我說：「好，你打算研究 他有沒有 CTE 這方面的問題嗎？」

And he said no, in fact at that time he didn't believe that was a real disease.

他說不，當時他並不認為 CTE 是一種真正的疾病。

I said, "OK, if you're not, do you mind if I have it?"

我說：「好，如果你用不著， 你介意把這個腦給我嗎？」

And he said, "Well, young man,

他說：「這樣子吧，年輕人，

I can't give you the brain.

我不能把這個腦給你。

You need his family's permission.

你需要得到他家人的同意。

But if you do get the permission of his next of kin,

如果他的近親許可了，

I will release the brain to you."

我就把大腦交給你。」

And I said, "Great!"

我說：「太棒了！」

And then I realized I had to figure out who his next of kin was and ask them,

接著我意識到必須找出 他的近親是誰，詢問他們。

and it turned out it was Andre Waters's 88-year-old mother.

結果是沃特斯 88 歲的母親。

And I sat there, and I took a breath and I thought,

我坐在那裡，深吸一口氣，想︰

"Am I really going to cold-call an 88-year-old grieving mother

「真的要唐突地打電話 給一個兒子剛剛自殺，

88 歲的悲傷母親嗎？」

who just lost her son to suicide?"

And almost everything in me said, "Don't do it.

我的內心掙扎著說：「不要這樣做。

It's too much to put this poor woman through,

實在太過分， 會傷透一個可憐女人的心，

she's been through so much already."

她已經受夠了。」

But then this other voice in my head said,

但是，我腦海中有另一個聲音說：

"You know what?

「知道嗎？

If guys are killing themselves from this disease

如果人們正在因 CTE 而自殺，

and we could study it to maybe prevent this from happening in the future,

我們可以通過研究 防止未來再發生同樣的事，

sometimes you've just got to suck it up and do something that's very hard."

有時你要忍受痛苦， 做一些極困難的事情。」

So I called her.

所以我打電話給她。

First time, nobody answered.

第一次，電話沒人接聽。

Second time, no one answered, third... no voice mails.

第二次，電話沒人接聽， 第三次......沒語音信箱。

The fifth time, I got an answer.

第五次，有人接電話了。

And thank God that Andre Waters's family was so gracious about the call and said,

感謝上帝，沃特斯的家人 如此親切地接電話，回答說：

「你知道嗎，我們想知道 安德烈發生了什麼事。

"You know what, we want to know what happened to Andre.

We want to know why he changed so much in the last five years of his life."

我們想知道在過去的五年中， 他的變化為何如此之大。」

And so we studied the brain,

所以，我們研究那個腦，

and it turned out that he did have CTE.

事實證明他確實患有 CTE。

He became the third NFL player diagnosed with the disease.

他成為第三位被診斷 患有該病的 NFL 球員。

This is what it looks like.

腦看起來就是這樣。

He was somewhere between mild and severe.

他處於輕度和重度之間。

OK, we have three of three NFL players here.

好的，我們有三名 NFL 的球員在這裡，

Maybe this needs to get a little bit more serious.

可能這需要更被重視些。

Maybe something's happening here.

也許當中發生了一些事情，

So I ended up starting the Concussion Legacy Foundation,

所以我最終成立了 「腦震盪後遺症基金會」，

正式展開這項工作。

actually formalized the work,

so it wasn't just some guy calling for brains.

我不僅是個打電話要腦的人，

And I searched the world.

我還搜尋世界各地，

And I put together the best research team I could find.

盡我所能組成最好的研究團隊。

So we partnered with Boston University,

我們與波士頓大學、

we partnered with scientists at the VA here in Boston,

波士頓美國退伍軍人事務部的 科學家合作，

and we started a brain bank.

我們起動了一個大腦儲存庫。

Turns out, if you want to know how to cure degenerative brain disease,

原來，如果你想知道 如何治療退行性腦病，

you have to start by actually studying the brains.

就必須從研究大腦開始。

At this point, we were the first center in the world focused on CTE.

我們是目前世界上第一個 專注於研究 CTE 的中心。

It just had not been studied formally.

以前並沒有正式的研究。

And so we start this brain bank, and it's my job to get the brains

我們啟動這個腦庫，

我的工作是為相片中間的 安·麥基博士和腦庫取得腦。

for Dr. Ann McKee and her brain bank, right in the middle.

We also work with Dr. Bob Stern, Dr. Robert Cantu,

我們還與鮑勃‧斯特恩博士、 羅伯特‧坎圖博士合作，

truly my dream team of scientists that I support.

我支持這夢寐以求的科學團隊。

So my job is to get the brains.

我的工作就是要獲取大腦。

And I was very successful in those early years.

早年我非常成功。

Since 2007 I've started every day by reading the obituaries.

從 2007 年起 我每天早晨閱讀訃文。

And it's a tough way to live.

這是個艱難的生活方式，

And it's hard on me

對我來說很難，

and it's even worse on these poor families that I've been calling

更可憐的是曾經在過去 10 年中

for the last 10 years, to ask for their brains.

接我電話的那些家庭， 被要求捐出他們親人的大腦。

And so early on in the process, as it started to really eat away at me,

早期的沉重工作使我精疲力竭，

I decided, you know what, can I find another way

換個角度想，能否找到另一種方式，

to get people to donate their brains to this research?

讓人們自願捐獻大腦作這項研究？

And I figured out, what if we could create a culture

如果我們要在這個國家 創造出捐贈大腦的文化，

of brain donation in this country?

怎樣才辦得到呢？

What if it became normal for athletes to donate their brain after they died?

運動員去世後捐出他們的腦 可否成為一種常態？

And so what I started was a brain donation registry.

我從捐腦的註冊過程開始。

And I started asking athletes

我開始詢問運動員

if they would publicly pledge to donate their brain to science.

可願公開承諾捐出大腦供科學研究。

And it started with, actually, a hockey player in 2009.

計劃始於 2009 年，

One of my first pledges was a former Harvard hockey player,

早期承諾的人之一是 前哈佛曲棍球運動員，

當時在國家冰球聯盟的諾亞‧韋爾奇。

Noah Welch, who was in the NHL at the time.

It was a slow start people understanding what this was about.

起初，人們才開始慢慢理解這事。

So when the news hit the front page,

所以當頭版新聞出現：

"Noah Welch pledging his brain to science,"

「諾亞‧韋爾奇將大腦奉獻給科學」

he said he went to the locker room the next day,

之後的第二天，他走進更衣室，

one of his teammates pulled him aside and said,

一個隊友把他拉到一邊說：

「我聽說你把大腦 捐獻給科學研究。」

"Hey, I heard you're donating your brain to science."

And he said, "Yep."

他說：「是的。」

And he said, "Wow. How many games are you going to miss?"

他說：「哇，你會錯過多少場比賽？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

True story.

真實的故事。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But we've been remarkably successful --

但我們非常成功，

over 2,500 athletes have signed up.

已經有超過 2,500 名運動員承諾。

They get a brain-donation card they keep in their wallet.

他們得到一張可放在 錢包的大腦捐贈卡。

This is mine, I was obviously first, it says 01.

這張是我的， 顯然我是一號。

我會捐出我的大腦。

And I will donate my brain to this.

我們很幸運有像布蘭迪‧查斯坦，

We've also been lucky to have people like Brandi Chastain,

the women's soccer icon,

她是女子足球的偶像；

全國運動汽車競賽協會的 戴爾‧恩哈特；

NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Just two weeks ago, Hall-of-Famer Nick Buoniconti

尼克·布尼康蒂就在兩週前 許諾捐出他的大腦，

who had been diagnosed with dementia, signed up to pledge his brain.

入選名人堂的他 已被診斷出患有失智症。

So it's been wonderful, and the great thing about it

這真是太棒了，

is that it has worked in changing how we're able to get brains.

棒在它改變了我們獲得大腦的方式。

So now, instead of me having to call, more families call us.

現在我不用向外打電話， 卻有更多的家屬打電話給我們，

And our phones ring off the hook.

我們的電話鈴聲響個不停。

And so I can now focus on taking this information,

所以我現在能專注於獲取信息，

figuring out how do we work towards a cure,

弄清楚我們如何治療，

how do we work towards prevention,

以及預防的方向，

and so my life has gotten a lot easier.

所以我的生活變得輕鬆多了。

This is just some of the headlines that we've able to get over the years

這只是這些年來我們獲得的 頭條新聞中的一部分，

from athletes pledging their brain.

關於承諾捐出大腦的運動員們。

The problem has been what we learned.

我們研究腦所獲得的知識才是問題。

So when we started this,

一開始

only 45 cases existed in the world of this disease

腦庫研究的這病

that had been studied in brain banks.

世上只有 45 例。

Since then, we have acquired 500 brains

從那時起，我們已經 獲得了 500 個大腦，

and found over 300 of them had CTE.

其中 300 多人被發現患有 CTE 。

To put that in perspective,

從這個角度看來，

the rest of the world has not studied 100 brains since we started this.

從我們開始到現在， 國外研究過的腦不超過 100。

What we've seen though is very frightening.

而我們的發現非常駭人。

So some of you might have seen the headline in July

你們當中有些人可能看過七月份

in the "New York Times."

「紐約時報」的頭條。

And a recent study we published,

我們最近發表的研究報告顯示，

that of the first 111 NFL players we looked at

最初 111 名被檢視的 NFL 球員，

110 were positive for this disease.

有 110 個確診為 CTE 陽性；

Of the first 53 college football players we looked at,

我們看過的頭 53 名 大學足球運動員中，

48 had this disease.

48 人有這病。

That's something that's a very big concern to me.

這是我非常擔心的事情。

And so now, I'm very much focused

所以現在，我非常專注於

on what can we do to actually treat this disease?

能做些什麼來治療這病？

我們仍然無法 為活生生的人診斷 CTE，

We still can't diagnose CTE in living people,

we have no treatments that are going to be coming

在未來五年內

我們無法找出藥品治療方案。

out of the pharmaceutical industry in the next five years.

This is a long, long fight.

這是一場漫長的戰爭。

But our Concussion Legacy Foundation is here to not only facilitate this work,

我們的腦震盪後遺症基金會， 不僅促進尋找治療方案，

and that's the long game,

那是長期的工作；

but the short game is, hey, we can prevent this.

但眼前的是，我們能夠預防這疾病，

We can prevent this disease

我們能夠預防這疾病，

if we just stopped hitting people in the head so much.

只要不再讓人腦常常受撞擊。

And frankly, we need to stop hitting children in the head.

坦率地說，我們不要再讓 兒童的腦袋受到撞擊。

Turns out, it's not a great idea to hit a five-year-old in the head

事實證明，讓一個五歲孩子的 腦袋每年被撞擊 500 次

500 times each year.

並不是個好主意。

And it does actually open up the door to this disease.

那會引致這病。

And so, we've got a lot of work ahead of us.

所以，我們有很多工作要做。

But I have great hope that we're on our way to curing this disease.

我抱著極大的希望 我們正朝向治療這病的方向邁進。

But I hope you understand my story a little more now.

希望你們現在更了解我的故事了。

And now that we've gotten to know each other a little bit better,

我們現在已彼此了解多了些，

this is the time where I ask you,

這個時刻我要問你︰

"Can I have your brain?"

「把你的大腦給我，好嗎？」

Thank you very much.

非常感謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）