Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head trauma [1]. This leads to the buildup of tau proteins in the brain. This condition can result in symptoms like memory loss, mood changes, and cognitive decline, often appearing years after the injuries occur. CTE is a common neurodegenerative disease, however, there are a lot of people who don’t even realize they have it. It is common with high impact sports, which many people partake in. CTE leads to cell death and other failures of basic human functions, as pictured in Picture 1.
Picture 1 [2]
In “The New Neurometabolic Cascade of Concussion,” [3] by Giza and Hovda describes the updated understanding of the brain’s metabolic and functional response following a concussion. Traditional views of concussion mainly focused on mechanical damage, but more recent research brings forth the disruption of cellular and biochemical processes, like CTE.
The topic of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy has a lot of ongoing research for several reasons including a lack of a definitive diagnosis in living people. CTE can only be fully diagnosed through post-mortem brain tissue analysis. This limits our ability to study the it in living individuals and makes progress hard to understand in its early stages.
In addition, there is a long latency period. CTE often develops years or even decades after repeated head trauma. This makes it difficult to predict who might develop it and when. Researchers are still trying to identify early biomarkers that could predict its onset. There is also a lot of complexity in CTE. The exact mechanisms behind it are unclear. The accumulation of tau protein in the brain is a bit part of CTE, but the precise cause of CTE buildup, the role of repeated concussions, and genetic and environmental factors are still being studied.
Understanding CTE pathophysiology is a problem. Research has advanced our understanding of CTE, particularly the accumulation of tau proteins in the brain. Also linking CTE to repeated trauma and looking at the connection between repeated concussions and head impacts with the development of CTE, especially in contact sports is important [4]. See Table 1 for more information on 631 former football players and the supposed stages or lack there of of CTE they have. This has helped to shift focus on prevention and better concussion management. We should encourage sports to implement safer protocols to reduce the risk of long-term brain damage. Early detection and biomarkers are also a challenge. Although diagnosing CTE in living individuals is still not great, ongoing research is working to identify biomarkers or neuroimaging techniques that could detect early signs of CTE. Also, by identifying the diverse range of symptoms such as mood disorders, aggression, and cognitive decline associated with CTE, researchers are helping to distinguish it from other mental health or neurodegenerative conditions. This could lead to better strategies for affected people and improve the understanding of brain injury’s psychological and emotional impact.
Table 1 [5]
One of the interesting topics for future research is the development of biomarkers for early detection of CTE. If researchers can find reliable blood tests or imaging markers that mark the existence of tau protein or other things associated with CTE, it would be a major breakthrough. This could help identify individuals at risk and allow for earlier intervention.
The issue of CTE mostly affects athlete safety, especially in contact sports. It raises concerns for parents, coaches, and sports organizations about the long-term risks of head injuries. As awareness grows, there’s a push for stricter safety protocols, better concussion management, and safer sports practices. The topic also prompts cultural shifts in how we view and value contact sports.
What do you think? Should young athletes be allowed to play high-contact sports, given the risks of long-term brain damage? How can sports organizations better balance competitive play with player safety? What role does technology play in preventing and detecting concussions in real-time?
CTE is a serious, long-term consequence of repeated head injuries, and understanding its risks is crucial for protecting athletes or successive head injury at all levels. What changes can we make to protect future generations of athletes from the dangers of head trauma? How can we push for better detection and prevention?
References
[1] Cho, H., Hyeon, S. J., Shin, J.-Y., Alvarez, V. E., Stein, T. D., Lee, J., Kowall, N. W., McKee, A. C., Ryu, H., & Seo, J.-S. (2020). Alterations of transcriptome signatures in head trauma-related neurodegenerative disorders. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65916-y
[2] “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Feb. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy.
[3] Giza CC, Hovda DA. The new neurometabolic cascade of concussion. Neurosurgery. 2014 Oct;75 Suppl 4(0 4):S24-33. doi: 10.1227/NEU.0000000000000505. PMID: 25232881; PMCID: PMC4479139.
[4] Su, Y., Protas, H., Luo, J., Chen, K., Alosco, M. L., Adler, C. H., Balcer, L. J., Bernick, C., Au, R., Banks, S. J., Barr, W. B., Coleman, M. J., Dodick, D. W., Katz, D. I., Marek, K. L., McClean, M. D., McKee, A. C., Mez, J., Daneshvar, D. H., et al. (2023). Flortaucipir tau PET findings from former professional and college American football players in the DIAGNOSE CTE research project. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 20(3), 1827–1838. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13602
[5] The Learning Network. “What’s Going on in This Graph? | Football and C.T.E.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Sept. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/learning/whats-going-on-in-this-graph-oct-4-2023.html.
