Can Scientists Make Football Safer?

A college football team in Utah is donning some curious caps this season. As part of their regular recovery routine, many Brigham Young University players are wearing headsets that shine near-infrared light onto their scalps — and up their noses.

Emerging science suggests that the devices may help the brain be more resilient to damage, potentially reducing the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease associated with repeated head trauma.

Researchers first introduced the headsets to B.Y.U. football as part of a small, randomized trial in 2021. Based on that study’s results — signs of reduced brain inflammation among users over the season — the team ordered more.

Near-infrared light is just one of a number of surprising therapeutic approaches for C.T.E. that scientists are investigating. Some see promise in manipulating the gut microbiome; others are exploring the potential of stimulating the vagus nerve, eliciting a psychedelic experience or repurposing drugs that might quiet inflammation in the brain.

All the research is driven by mounting concerns over the long-term brain health of contact-sport athletes. A study published on Wednesday used a statistical model to estimate that three in four former National Football League players who died between 2008 and 2023 most likely had signs of C.T.E. in their brains at death.