Brett Favre announces Parkinson’s diagnosis. Is Parkinson’s linked to concussions?

Brett Favre revealed Tuesday that he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The NFL legend best known for his long tenure with the Green Bay Packers shared the news during a congressional hearing on the misuse of welfare funds in Mississippi, according to The Athletic .

Favre testified because he was one of several people named in lawsuits over the welfare fraud. Favre has repaid the money that he shouldn’t have been eligible to receive, but he has denied knowingly taking part in the illegal scheme, as the Deseret News previously reported.

Is Parkinson’s linked to concussions?

Favre’s disclosure of his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis came as he described his experience with concussions.

“Parkinson’s and other brain disorders, like dementia, are associated with a history of concussions. So too is the degenerative brain disease CTE — chronic traumatic encephalopathy — which has been posthumously diagnosed in hundreds of NFL players whose brains were donated to researchers for examination,” according to NPR .

The article noted that Favre has previously said he was diagnosed with “three or four concussions” while in the NFL.

During his congressional testimony Tuesday, Favre said that his support for the development of a concussion-related drug is what led him to work with some of the people who misused welfare funds.

“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others,” Favre said, per The Athletic. “I’m sure you’ll understand while it’s too late for me because I’ve been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is also a cause dear to my heart. Recently, the doctor running the company pleaded guilty to taking TANF money for his own use.”

Parkinson’s disease overview

Favre, 54, did not provide additional details on his diagnosis during the testimony.

Here’s a basic overview of the disease, including key symptoms and a list of other high-profile people with Parkinson’s.

Causes of Parkinson’s

Although scientists have studied Parkinson’s disease for decades, there’s still a lot about the disease that’s unknown, including environmental factors that may increase someone’s risk of contracting it, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation .

But it’s widely accepted that head trauma, including concussions, is one of many risk factors for Parkinson’s.

Research has also shown that genetics plays a role. “Genetics cause about 10% to 15% of all Parkinson’s,” the Parkinson’s Foundation reports.

Early signs of Parkinson’s

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation , early symptoms of the disease include:

• Shaking or tremors in your fingers, hand or chin
• A loss of smell
• Stiffness that interferes with your movement
• Dizziness or fainting

Treatment for Parkinson’s

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease yet, but there are a variety of ways to manage symptoms, per Cleveland Clinic .

For example, doctors can prescribe medication that helps with associated insomnia or constipation. They can also artificially increase a patient’s dopamine since the disease interferes with dopamine levels.

Parkinson’s patients might also be treated with “deep brain stimulation,” Cleveland Clinic reports.

“In years past, surgery was an option to intentionally damage and scar a part of your brain that was malfunctioning because of Parkinson’s disease. Today, that same effect is possible using deep-brain stimulation, which uses an implanted device to deliver a mild electrical current to those same areas,” the article said.

Parkinson’s life expectancy

Parkinson’s remains a degenerative disease, but the prognosis is better today than it was in the past.

“Parkinson’s disease isn’t fatal, but the symptoms and effects are often contributing factors to death,” per Cleveland Clinic .

The article continued, “The average life expectancy for Parkinson’s disease in 1967 was a little under 10 years. Since then, the average life expectancy has increased by about 55%, rising to more than 14.5 years.”

Since most people get diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at or after age 60, it’s not considered to reduce life expectancy by very much, the article said.

Celebrities with Parkinson’s

Here are some high-profile people who had Parkinson’s before their deaths or who are currently in treatment for Parkinson’s.

• Muhammad Ali
• The Rev. Billy Graham
• Michael J. Fox
• Alan Alda
• Neil Diamond
• Ozzy Osbourne

The Parkinson’s Foundation offers a longer list on its website.