CTE is Officially a Disease, Not a Side-Effect

The new Will Smith movie Concussion is about the doctor who discovered Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, in the brains of football players who had died. Whether or not Dr. Bennet Omalu officially “discovered” the disease or was simply the first to diagnose it in athletes is a source of contention, but a new publication out of Boston University Medical Center puts one debate to rest entirely: “CTE has been confirmed as a unique disease that can be definitively diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue. A consensus panel of expert neuropathologists concluded that CTE has a pathognomonic signature in the brain.” Put simply, CTE has officially become a disease, not just an after-effect of trauma – and that means more money for research, studies and tests to help people suffering with the condition.

What is CTE

For years, CTE has been treated as a side-effect of repetitive trauma. Because it was so often seen in boxers, the condition was called “punch drunk.” It is a very common condition; the Baltimore Sun reported back in March “that 76 of 79 former NFL players’ brains showed evidence of CTE.”

CTE is actually a progressive degenerative disease which leads to a buildup of tau protein. Unlike other traumatic brain injuries caused by blunt-force trauma to the head, CTE’s progressive nature often means that no therapies can actually “cure” a person with the condition. The stages, as related by Frontline, progress like this:

• Stage One. Tau proteins begin to build up around the blood vessels in the frontal lobe of the brain. The nerve cells will eventually die as a result. People with Stage One CTE will not experience any symptoms.
• Stage Two. This is where changes in personality may begin to appear. As the tau spreads and more of the frontal lobe’s cells are affected, victims may experience depression, feelings of rage or a new impulsive nature, which could fuel poor decision making.
• Stage Three. By now, the tau has moved throughout the brain, into the temporal lobes, the amygdala and the hippocampus. These are the areas that control emotions and memory, so victims of Stage Three CTE may become confused, and start suffering memory loss.
• Stage Four. The final stage of the disease, in Stage Four is when the tau proteins finally take control of the entire brain. The tissue itself “becomes deformed and brittle,” as the brain shrinks to up to half its original size. The most apparent effect is advanced dementia” and “cognitive function is severely limited.”

Now that CTE is “officially” a disease, researchers will be able to study it more thoroughly and for longer, in the hopes of finding any genetic markers or other factors that could lead a person to developing the condition (aside from sports-related trauma, that is). It could eventually lead to scientific advancements that could slow, if not stop, the progression of the disease, or help us understand other forms of brain injuries, especially those that lead to dementia.

Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. offer comprehensive counsel to brain injury victims throughout Maryland. To speak with a dedicated Baltimore brain injury lawyer about your needs, please contact us.

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