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  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is best-known for affecting football players; repeated bangs to the head can hurt the parts of the brain that direct impulse, memory and emotion. Now, scientists are finding evidence of CTE in the brains of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr. Bob Stern from Boston University School of Medicine talks to weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz.
  • Class action lawsuits against the NFL are hitting headlines. Players or former players are suing the league because of head injuries. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mike Pesca.
  • Thousands of U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Now the military is trying to determine how many soldiers suffer concussions in exercises like hand-to-hand combat training before they ever reach a war zone.
  • The Army changed its guidelines last year on awarding Purple Hearts to troops who got concussions in combat. NPR and ProPublica reported on this two years ago, and last month, one of the soldiers profiled by our investigation 鈥� who had been denied a Purple Heart 鈥� finally received her medal.