how a knockout occurs / parkinsons syndrome. READ

[platinummatt]

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/060505.html

goes into detail of how a knockout occurs. Also covers Parkinsons syndrome. Its interesting, and I think you should read it. Esp if you want to box.

[NJFighter91]

HOLY ****, Ali didn't get his Parkinson's disease from boxing, it was in his genes. He even said so in his book "Soul of a Butterfly" which I recommend everyone reads. It's an awesome book.

Everyone assumes he got his disease from boxing but he didn't. It was all in the genes.

[Southpaw Stinger]

HOLY ****, Ali didn't get his Parkinson's disease from boxing, it was in his genes. He even said so in his book "Soul of a Butterfly" which I recommend everyone reads. It's an awesome book.

That idea has long since been dismissed and most experts are in agreement that it was a result of boxing. It's not parkinsons disease it's parkinsons syndrome which has numerous causes - but the cause in Muhammad's case was physical trauma of the brain stem.
He used the rope a dope too many times it seems.

[Southpaw Stinger]

To further complicate matters, research suggests CTE is most likely to emerge in boxers with a particular gene--some veteran fighters (George Foreman and Max Schmeling are two I've seen mentioned) don't develop the problem.

I like the way it says this, it forgets that George Foreman and Max Baer didn't perform the rope a dope.
Most of Baers and Foremans fights didn't las tthe distance and they didn't take nearly as much punishment as Ali.
Ali went 15 rounds very often near the end of his career as much as taking 15 rounds of hard blows ffrom the likes of Earnie Shavers - which would do anyone damage.
Ali fought some of the hardest punchers of all time and he beat them by letting them punch themselves out. Ali took lots of punches in fights that he won so it's obvious that he would suffer more than Foreman or Baer.

[Hard Boiled HK]

That idea has long since been dismissed and most experts are in agreement that it was a result of boxing. It's not parkinsons disease it's parkinsons syndrome which has numerous causes - but the cause in Muhammad's case was physical trauma of the brain stem.
He used the rope a dope too many times it seems.

Southpaw is correct. The UCLA doctor that examined Ali and his former fight doctor Pacheco both said if Ali never fought then he wouldn't be like this today.

However, there was another theory that pesticide can give Parkinson's Syndrome. Ali's training camp at Deer Lake was made of wood and was often sprayed with pesticide.

[Ringo]

Simple fact of the matter is that boxer tactics and skill can have a huge impact on how a boxer's life will play out. Example - if Ali hadn't absorbed so much punishment in his career, he would live a different life today. Of those claimed "18%" of pro boxers that develope this type of situation, I would bet either a) They were the flat-footed bruiser type, or b) had a disposition to acquire that type of disease and the impact sport accelerated the process.

[yrrej]

Obviously boxing is not good for the brain, but you have to die of something.....

[ricecrispi]

parkinsons is caused by lack of dopamine producing neurons that are only in a specific region in the brain. People don't know what destroys or causes a reduction in these neurons but when you lose about 80% of them you get parkinson symptoms.

Boxing might not be a direct cause but could substantially aggrevate the loss of these neurons. Again we don't know what causes these neurons to die in the first place.

Boxing and brain damage causes host of other problems. Boxing also causes other physical problems like arthritis in the wrist and hands for example.