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A MedPage Today neurology roundup published Oct. 20 reported three developments: unintentional napping was associated with higher incidence of possible or probable dementia; Nature issued an editorial expression of concern about a 2017 autism study; and researchers diagnosed former NASCAR driver Fred Lorenzen with stage 3 CTE after his death. The findings do not establish that napping causes dementia, and the source provides no details on the concerns behind the journal notice.
A neurology roundup published by MedPage Today on Oct. 20 reported an association between unintentional napping and higher incidence of possible or probable dementia, an editorial expression of concern about a 2017 autism paper in Nature, and a posthumous diagnosis of stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy in NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen. The items describe separate developments; the nap finding is an association, not proof of cause, while the source does not specify the reasons for Nature’s concern.
The napping finding came from data in the National Health and Aging Trends Study, according to the roundup, which cited the Journals of Gerontology: Series A. It said unintentional napping was associated with a higher incidence of possible or probable dementia. The summary did not provide the study’s sample size, follow-up period, effect estimate, or details about how napping was measured.
Nature issued an editorial expression of concern about a highly cited 2017 paper that proposed bacteria in a mother’s gut promoted neurodevelopmental abnormalities in mice. The roundup did not describe the journal’s stated grounds for the notice or say whether the paper has been corrected, retracted, or otherwise changed. The original work concerned mice; the report does not establish that its proposed mechanism applies to people.
The Concussion & CTE Foundation announced that Boston University researchers diagnosed Lorenzen with stage 3 CTE. Lorenzen, a former driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer, died at age 89 in 2024. The foundation described him as the first NASCAR driver with a confirmed CTE diagnosis. The item is one of several in the roundup, which also mentioned research on epilepsy and dementia and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a once-daily autoinjector version of zilucoplan for generalized myasthenia gravis.
Three Distinct Neurology Developments
Together, the items touch on dementia research, scientific scrutiny, and brain injury in sports, but they answer different questions. The napping result may help researchers investigate links between sleep patterns and cognitive health; it cannot show from the reported information that naps cause dementia or that stopping them would reduce risk.
The Nature notice signals that the journal has raised a concern about a widely cited study, but the notice’s meaning depends on its specific explanation and any later editorial action. Lorenzen’s diagnosis adds a documented case to discussion of CTE in professional contact sports. A single posthumous diagnosis does not establish how common the disease is among NASCAR drivers or identify the cause of his condition.
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Research, Review and a Posthumous Diagnosis
The roundup was a short digest of neurology and neuroscience news, rather than a single study or investigation. Its other items included a pooled analysis of six U.S. cohorts linking vascular risk factors and prior stroke with incident late-onset epilepsy, and research from Sweden and France linking epilepsy with higher risk of young-onset dementia. The roundup supplied no detailed methods or numerical estimates for those reports.
In a separate item, the FDA approval of a once-daily autoinjector version of the generalized myasthenia gravis drug zilucoplan was attributed to manufacturer UCB. The digest also relayed a neurologist’s argument that preventive counseling may be preferable to biomarker testing for asymptomatic people, given uncertainty about the prognostic value of Alzheimer’s biomarkers. These topics provide broader context, but they are not evidence for or against the three developments featured here.
“Fred Lorenzen was diagnosed with stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy.”
— The Concussion & CTE Foundation
Key Details Still Missing
The roundup provides no numerical results or study-design detail for the napping research, so readers cannot assess the size of the association, how it varied across participants, or whether other factors could explain it. It also does not establish whether unintentional napping preceded cognitive changes or was related to other health conditions.
For the Nature paper, the reason for the expression of concern is not given, nor is the journal’s next step. The summary does not provide details of the CTE assessment, such as the evidence reviewed or the researchers’ diagnostic process. It also does not establish a broader rate of CTE among NASCAR drivers. These gaps mean the three items should be read as brief reports, not full accounts of the underlying evidence.
Follow-Up From Journals and Researchers
Readers seeking the full napping findings will need the study report in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A, including its methods and estimates. For the autism paper, the next clear update would be a fuller explanation from Nature and any correction, retraction, or other editorial decision. The source material does not give a timetable for that process.
Further information from the Concussion & CTE Foundation or Boston University researchers could clarify how Lorenzen’s diagnosis was reached. Any claims about prevalence in racing would require broader evidence beyond this single case. Until those details are available, the reported findings and announcement remain the confirmed scope of this roundup.
Key Questions
Does unintentional napping cause dementia?
The report does not show that it does. It describes an association between unintentional napping and a higher incidence of possible or probable dementia; association alone does not establish cause.
What did Nature say about the 2017 autism paper?
Nature issued an editorial expression of concern. The supplied summary does not explain the reasons or state whether the paper has been corrected or retracted.
Who was Fred Lorenzen, and what was reported?
Lorenzen was a NASCAR Hall of Famer who died at age 89 in 2024. The Concussion & CTE Foundation said Boston University researchers diagnosed him posthumously with stage 3 CTE and described him as the first NASCAR driver with a confirmed diagnosis.
Does Lorenzen’s diagnosis show how common CTE is in NASCAR?
No. A single case cannot establish prevalence among NASCAR drivers. The roundup provides no broader study or rate.
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