Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)


  A brain disorder likely caused by repeated head injuries that causes the death of nerve cells in the brain known as degeneration and gets worse over time
• CTE is a rare disorder that is not yet well understood
• CTE doesn’t appear to be related to a single head injury
• Groups at risk of CTE


  • Contact sports players
  • Military members exposed to explosive blasts
• CTE can’t be diagnosed in life except in people with high-risk exposures
• Researchers are currently developing diagnostic biomarkers for CTE, but none has been validated yet
• Symptoms of CTE are thought to develop years to decades after the head trauma occurs
• Common symptoms of CTE are:

  • Cognitive impairment
  • Memory less
  • Behavioural changes
  • Impulsive behaviour
  • Aggression
  • Emotional instability
  • Mood disorders