It's a time-honored and somewhat romantic tale: The young fighter who rises from poverty to make a name for themselves.
But reality might take some shine off such stories, a new study says.
Participants in combat sports like boxing or mixed martial arts who grew up in poor neighborhoods might be more likely to suffer brain changes associated with degenerative brain disease, compared to fighters who come from affluent backgrounds, researchers report.
Specifically, they had smaller brain volumes in regions important for movement and memory, including the thalamus, cerebellum and hippocampus, according to findings published Aug. 13 in Neurology Open Access.
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