The head of the players union, with whom Dave Pear and other retirees have been - I think the fair word to use is battling - is Gene Upshaw, the former All Pro and Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders.

NPR: Former NFL Players Unable to Pay Medical Bills

Paper author Dr Kathryn Hall, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), said this gene had been chosen because "there has been increasing evidence that the neurotransmitter dopamine is activated when people anticipate and respond to placebos".

BBC: Placebo effect may be 'down to genes'