Traumatic brain injury is getting more of the attention it deserves now that sports leagues like the NFL are involved in studying the problem.

One high ranking NFL personality, Paul Allen, is going to try and make a difference by funding further brain injury research:

Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner, has decided to fund a two-year, $2.4 million study on possible fallouts of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) including dementia, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The study will be a joint project by the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the University of Washington.

Allen is the only NFL owner who owns a brain research lab. Researchers will study over 500 donated brains from the Group Health brain bank to find if head injuries can be linked to health problems in late life like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. They will also look into the reactions that occur in the brain immediately after such traumas.

While the driving force behind the research is sports, studies like these can only help all people who suffer from traumatic brain injury, whether caused in a car accident, slip and fall, or on the football field.