Comments Thread For: Muhammad Ali's Doctor Questions Boxing/Parkinson's Link

[champion4ever]

There's a lot of research still needs to be done in order to study the scientific causes and effects of this disease. Scientists seem more baffled now than ever about the causes of it. While we know that it is mostly hereditary; However at the same time, one cannot totally rule out the real possibility of the complications of repeated head trauma, related to the disease either; In which many doctors have coined as Parkinson's syndrome or Pugilistic Dementia.

[Lou Cipher]

Doctors can be bought. This is clearly Wladimir Klitchko paying off the doctor so he can get whatever belt he holds to put Ali into the "mandatory" challenger position, and Klit can finally safely get a big name into the ring with less than 50% chance of losing.

[radioraheem]

There's a lot of research still needs to be done in order to study the scientific causes and effects of this disease. Scientists seem more baffled now than ever about the causes of it. While we know that it is mostly hereditary; However at the same time, one cannot totally rule out the real possibility of the complications of repeated head trauma, related to the disease either; In which many doctors have coined as Parkinson's syndrome or Pugilistic Dementia.

Back on topic regarding Ali's Parkinsons; I suppose it is possible that he may have gone down that route anyway.

There was no one fight which seemed to leave him noticeably different. There seemed to be some slight signs/symptoms in 1976 that quite simply became more apparent over the years. But the progression continued after boxing.

If it is a syndrome brought on by boxing, then it shouldn't have been expected to progress as it has done over the years despite no head punches for 33 years.

When you look at someone like Rid**** Bowe; there was a noticeable difference between the guy prior to the Golota fights and afterwards......and he seems much the same now to how he was in the late 90s. Ali's case does seem to be much more like actual Parkinson's disease rather than Parkinson's syndrome.

In my opinion, it had a lot to do with the punishment from boxing.

But the main problem is that everyone is different. Everyone has a different DNA, a different set of genetics. You can eat a piece of bread that's a little rotten, and be fine. Another person can eat that same piece of rotten bread and end up in the hospital fighting for their life. So sometimes it's really difficult to say just because everyone's genetic makeup is quite different.

[BTL]

Can head trauma cause Parkinson's?

I'm sure it can, if u hit the head enough the trauma can cause problems with the substania negra.. But the strange part is if the damage is already done why does the dustruction of the neurons continue?.. Why is it progressing?.. No more dopamine being crossed via neurotransmitters.

Then u have people who live healthy lives who get hit with Parkinson's disease at a very young age, with no one in the family having PD.

The only connection we have studied on is a pesticide one.. Solvents.... Also that u may have a gene and those things trigger the results.

[The Gambler1981]

For all the medical advancement made over the last 40 years, brain injury and diseases are still not understood at all.

Continual head trauma is not good for the brain, if it is the root cause or merely a factor that made it worse that is very tough to say.

[Sugarj]

Why woyldny it progress if its just frim boxing?



Parkinsons will always progress.

There is a difference between Parkinsons disease and Parkinsons syndrome. Unlucky individuals who have never taken a punch or received head trauma can develop Parkinsons disease......and this most certainly does progress over the years in individuals.

Parkinsons syndrome describes someone with the symptoms of Parkinsons disease who may not actually have the disease. In Ali's case it has been widely accepted/reported that he is suffering from Parkinson's syndrome due to the head trauma he suffered over the years in boxing.

Its not to say that the symptoms of Parkinsons syndrome might not worsen with age.......as it appears to have done in Ali's case. But there are plenty of individuals who suffer from apparent punch drunkenness and similar boxing related conditions that do not appear to progress over the years.

This is why I'm open to Ali being a genuine sufferer of Parkinsons disease. There was not one fight, or even one year where it suddenly seemed to appear.

[theface07]

Mayweather's competition has been 10 times greater than that of Ali's??
Give me a break. You must either be a very young fan who knows little about the history of boxing and the days when the best fought the best or you are one of the many deluded individuals who follow "Money" regardless of his choice of opponent and constant whining about the supposed "dirty tactics" displayed by any fighters who land a few punches. Only a scared, cowardly fighter like Floyd would use his "money" and influence to control every element of the fight possible before even entering the ring. Not only does he avoid his toughest possible competition but he makes sure the playing field is tilted in his favor as much as possible.
Whether you're aware of it or not, there was a time when promoters were not also boxers, carefully picking the opponents that provide the least risk and high ranking and title holding boxers were expected to defend their reputation against the other high ranked opponents that the boxing world expected them to face in the the ring.

Liston (in his prime), Patterson, Chuvalo (in his prime), Frazier (in his prime), Norton (in his prime), Foreman (in his prime), etc. etc.

Floyd hasn't fought anywhere near the amount of quality opponents in their prime. His toughest opponents were great fighters at the end of their respective careers such as De La Hoya and Mosley. The only high ranked opponent he fought in his prime was Canelo Alvarez and his style was tailor made for a runner/counter puncher like Floyd. Please avoid disrespecting great fighters of the past with such blatant ignorance.