Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
In this article, Kayla Newman explains what chronic traumatic encephalopathy is and how it affects people.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
By Kayla Newman
*WARNING* I am not a medical professional.
Are you prone to head trauma? Then you are more likely to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). It is a relatively rare chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries (making people part of the military and football players more prone to developing it). CTE was first noticed in 1928 by Dr. Harrison Martland, who called it “Punch Drunk Syndrome.”
CTE happens when an individual has repetitive brain trauma, such as concussions. According to Concussion Legacy Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting safer and more innovative sports to help with CTE prevention, “experts believe a structural protein in neurons called tau misfolds and malfunctions, causes adjacent proteins to misfold, and sets off a chain reaction where this malfunctioning tau slowly spreads throughout the brain, killing brain cells.” It can take years to decades after the initial trauma for CTE to develop. Many people develop symptoms around 40-60 years old. Some individuals, however, can show symptoms sooner.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy’s symptoms happen in stages and progressively get more severe as the disease progresses. According to the CTE Society, a non-profit organization that spreads awareness and information about CTE, “researchers concluded that most patients progress through four distinct behavioral stages and that some concurrently experience another degenerative disease.” In stage one, individuals experience headaches, a change in personality (such as depression and aggression), memory problems, and trouble with attention and concentration. In stage two, individuals can experience mood swings on top of the symptoms in stage one. Some individuals even experience symptoms like impulsivity, trouble with speech, and executive dysfunction. In stage three, people can experience visuospatial problems and apathy. According to the CTE Society, 75% of people in this stage are considered cognitively impaired. Finally, in stage four, individuals experience extreme cognitive problems, paranoia, parkinsonism (which also affects physical movement), and progressed or full-on dementia.
As morbid as it is, CTE can only be diagnosed after death. Although, an individual can be suspected of suffering from it by exhibiting all the previously mentioned symptoms. CTE currently has no known cure. CTE can be prevented by taking steps to limit concussions and head trauma. For example, the NFL is constantly evolving to improve its concussion and medical protocols.
CTE is a neurodegenerative disease that can affect many. Even though there is no cure knowing how to prevent it is highly important. Overall, if you want to prevent your brain from looking like a banana chip, prevent head trauma.
Sources:
Concussion Foundation
