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Study shows contact sports may lead to Parkinson's disease

Mounting evidence has already pointed to contact sports leading to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, but a new study shows those same sports may also lead to Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Thor Stein told Boston 25 News about a neuron in a brain that developed Lewy body disease, which leads to Parkinson's.

Stein said repetitive head impacts from tackles in football, checks in hockey or punches in boxing injure the brain, and can cause the disease.

"This is another risk for playing many years of contact sports," Stein said.

Unlike CTE, which shows symptoms like difficulty thinking, impulsive behavior and depression, Lewy body disease leads to Parkinson's.

"The kinds of symptoms you normally get with Lewy bodies are more motor movement, a resting tremor, a shuffling gate, a slowness in movement, Stein said.

Michael J. Fox and former Attorney General Janet Reno are notable people suffering from Parkinson's.

In the end, Stein said not to hang up any football cleats or boxing gloves just yet, as more studies need to be done.

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However, he said people do need to be aware of the risks.

"It's cumulative," Stein said. The more years you play, the greater your risk is."

While there is no certainty that people who play contact sports will be impacted, the study shows people who played more than eight years of contact sports were six times more likely to be affected.