09:25 Head injury research focus on deceased athlete's brains
The donated brains of former athletes are being studied to understand more about how repeated sports related head injuries cause brain degeneration.
Repetitive mild traumatic sporting brain injuries can lead to a progressive neurodegenerative disorder called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Funded by the Health Research Council, Helen Murray from the University of Auckland centre for brain research is looking at structural changes in the brain tissue from deceased Australian athletes to learn more about the neuropathology of such injuries.
Dr Murray is the captain of the New Zealand women's national ice hockey team, the Ice Ferns, and she has witnessed team-mates suffer appalling head trauma.
Dr Helen Murray Photo: University of Auckland
