title: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: The unknown disease.
abstract: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease produced by accumulated minor traumatic brain injuries; no definitive premortem diagnosis and no treatments are available for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Risk factors associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy include playing contact sports, presence of the apolipoprotein E4, and old age. Although it shares certain histopathological findings with Alzheimer disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy has a more specific presentation (hyperphosphorylated tau protein deposited as neurofibrillary tangles, associated with neuropil threads and sometimes with beta-amyloid plaques). Its clinical presentation is insidious; patients show mild cognitive and emotional symptoms before progressing to parkinsonian motor signs and finally dementia. Results from new experimental diagnostic tools are promising, but these tools are not yet available. The mainstay of managing this disease is prevention and early detection of its first symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España. Electronic address: rafa11safin@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Toledo, España.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Munarriz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), España.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paredes
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Alén
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D000070627:Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D003704:Dementia; D006801:Humans; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013177:Sports; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Adolescent; Adolescente; Boxing; Demencia; Dementia; Deportivo; Encefalopathy; Encefalopatía; Knock out; Pugilística; Sports