This week I would like to discuss Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and how important it is to be made aware of its life threating results.
What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a disease of the brain found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive head impacts. This type of trauma can trigger progressive degeneration of the brain tissue, including the build-up of an abnormal form of a protein called tau.
The brain degeneration is associated with memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, parkinsonism, and progressive dementia. These symptoms often begin years or even decades after the last brain trauma or end of active athletic involvement. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed after death.
What causes CTE?
Those at greatest risk for CTE are athletes who play contact sports (e.g., boxers, football players, etc.) and military veterans, likely due to their increased chances of enduring repeated blows to the head.
Symptoms
Scan showing control brain, brain with CTE, and brain with Alzheimer’s Research on CTE diagnosis, cause(s), symptoms, and risk factors is still in the early stages. Not all scientists agree on the symptoms of CTE, but the disease has been associated with:
1. Memory and thinking problems
2. Confusion
3. Personality changes and/or erratic behavior including aggression, depression and even suicidal thinking
4. Other symptoms may include problems paying attention and organizing thoughts as well as difficulty with balance and motor skills. People may not experience these potential signs of CTE until years or decades after brain injuries occur
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of CTE can only be made after death, when an autopsy can reveal whether the known brain changes of CTE are present. When CTE is suspected, a thorough medical history, mental status testing, neurological exams, brain imaging and more may be used to rule out other causes. Like Alzheimer’s, CTE involves tau, a protein in nerve cells that has been associated with dementia. However, researchers have found that CTE has a unique pattern of abnormal tau buildup in the tissues around the blood vessels that is different from other brain diseases involving tau including Alzheimer’s. Because better imaging techniques are now available, studies are beginning to show that CTE is distinct from Alzheimer’s. More research is needed to fully understand the brain changes that occur in CTE and how it is related
to dementia.
Treatment
There is no cure or treatment for CTE, but certain medicines may be used to temporarily treat the cognitive (memory and thinking) and behavioral symptoms. Consult your doctor before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication.
Source of Information: Various Google Searches
Until Next Week, Stay Safe and Well!