What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, commonly referred to as CTE, is a progressive degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. CTE can only be diagnosed through an autopsy after death due to the requirement of examining the brain for a specific pathology.
Symptoms of CTE
The symptoms of CTE typically appear years or even decades after the injuries. Common signs and symptoms include behavioral changes like aggression, depression, and suicidality. Progressive decline in cognitive abilities is also a hallmark symptom, with difficulties in concentrating, remembering, problem solving along with Parkinsonism appearing in more advanced stages of disease.
Early-onset dementia, anxiety, and explosivity are also frequently seen in those suffering from CTE. Some individuals experience progressive problems with impulse control and may display violent, homicidal, or suicidal tendencies. As CTE progresses, individuals can experience increased problems with cognition as well as memory impairment and issues accurately perceiving things visually.
Risk Factors for Developing CTE
The number and severity of head impacts is one of the strongest risk factors in developing CTE. Researchers have found Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in some individuals with just a few years playing contact sports as well as military members with just one confirmed concussion. Repetitive subconcussive hits appear to be more common in CTE cases rather than severe concussions alone. The type of helmet used may also play a role, with older helmets providing less protection than modern ones.
Genetic risk factors likely also contribute to whether an individual develops CTE after repeated head trauma. Issues like the ApoE gene are thought to increase CTE risk substantially. In one study, 86% of CTE cases had at least one ApoE-ε4 allele compared to 26-30% of the general population without histories of repetitive head impacts. Lifestyle factors may also affect CTE risk such as substance abuse.
Links between CTE and Concussions
While a definitive link between concussions and CTE has not been proven, many experts believe concussions are a significant part of repetitive head trauma that potentially leads to CTE. Autopsy studies of athletes who experienced multiple concussions have revealed the CTE pathology in their brains. A growing number of studies on athletes using blood-based biomarkers have also demonstrated lasting changes in the brain even after minor concussions.
Contact sports that involve routine heading of balls or players ramming helmets together like American football, soccer, hockey, rugby, boxing and wrestling are high-risk for concussions and repetitive subconcussive hits. Military personnel involved in explosive blasts also frequently sustain mild TBIs putting them at higher risk for developing CTE later in life. More research into links between repetitive concussions and CTE pathology in living individuals is still needed.
Promoting Awareness and Prevention
Growing understanding Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and its risks has led to important policy and rule changes already underway that aim to reduce head trauma. Equipment and safety innovations continue to improve helmets and pads used in sports. However, more awareness focused research is still needed. Further study of military personnel, different sports, and risks like youth sports exposure may provide insights that enhance prevention opportunities going forward.
Public education and awareness campaigns are critical to help inform youth athletes, their families, coaches and administrators about risks and how best to reduce them. Continued efforts to remove head contact from youth sports, especially for younger kids, are recommended along with managing risks from repetitive subconcussive hits through rules targeting these impacts. With focused commitments to ongoing research and preventative policies, the hope is to curb this neurodegenerative condition going forward.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author – Ravina Pandya
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