title: Repetitive Head Impacts and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
abstract: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a distinctive neurodegenerative disease that occurs as a result of repetitive head impacts. CTE can only be diagnosed by postmortem neuropathologic examination of brain tissue. CTE is a unique disorder with a pathognomonic lesion that can be reliably distinguished from other neurodegenerative diseases. CTE is associated with violent behaviors, explosivity, loss of control, depression, suicide, memory loss and cognitive changes. There is increasing evidence that CTE affects amateur athletes as well as professional athletes and military veterans. CTE has become a major public health concern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA; CTE Program, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Department of Pathology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. Electronic address: amckee@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA; CTE Program, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Alosco
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Bertrand R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D000070627:Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans
keywords: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Concussion; Neurodegenerative disease; Repetitive head impacts; Subconcussion; Tau protein; Traumatic brain injury