Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is not a real disease

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology : the Official Journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists
Christopher Randolph

Abstract

There was a long-lasting debate during the first half of the 1900s about whether boxers suffered from a condition called "dementia pugilistica". This included arguments as to whether there was such a distinct clinical condition, whether it was static or progressive, and whether boxers were actually at any increased risk of any neurological issues at all. The debate was never resolved, but was resuscitated in 2005 with the speculation that a similar condition, dubbed "chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)" existed in retired National Football League (NFL) players. A specific pattern of p-tau deposition has been identified in the brains of NFL retirees, and also identifiable in the brains of at least a percentage of individuals exposed to contact sports in general. Advocates of CTE as a disease describe it as presenting with behavioral disturbance, increased suicidality and neurodegeneration leading to dementia. The evidence to date, however, does not rise to the level of a verifiable disease, and remains at the level of case report. To assume that CTE pathology represents a neurodegenerative disease flies in the face of a number of facts, including that traumatic brain injury does not cause neurodegeneration, protein deposits i...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 24, 2019·The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences·Christopher M FilleyJames P Kelly
Jun 7, 2019·Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology·Grant L IversonRudolph J Castellani
Jul 25, 2019·Frontiers in Neurology·Arman Fesharaki-Zadeh
Jun 28, 2019·Acta Neuropathologica Communications·Michael E BucklandCatherine M Suter

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