Coming to Scientific Grips with CTE
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) can only be definitively diagnosed after death through brain examination. While it is impossible to know exactly how many people are living with CTE, studies suggest a significant number of individuals with a history of repetitive head impacts, particularly in contact sports and the military, may be living with CTE or experiencing symptoms related to it.
The Boston University CTE Center has diagnosed 345 former NFL players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) out of 376 former players studied (91.7 percent). In October 2022 the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), updated their position on what causes CTE: “CTE is a delayed neurodegenerative disorder that was initially identified in postmortem brains and, research-to-date suggests, is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries.”
Of 2000 former NFL players recently interviewed, one out of three thought they had CTE. They pointed to symptoms they know plagued NFL players who committed suicide and were later found to have CTE. They reported suicidal thoughts, cognitive problems, a higher proportion of low testosterone, depression, headaches, and chronic pain. Families talked about memory loss, mood disorders, aggression, disorientation, and cognitive decline. Some started early, others went downhill years after the trauma.
So what is it? How real are the symptoms that have spooked athletes, young and old? And what is the medical community, the Teams, and colleges, and the military doing in addition to keeping a scorecard of deaths?
What We Think We Know About CTE
CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive head trauma, often seen in athletes, military veterans, and others exposed to repeated brain injuries.
It’s characterized by the accumulation of “tangles” and abnormal tau protein in specific brain regions, which disrupts normal brain function.
Symptoms like the above can be subtle or aggressive, and some are familiar to those suffering from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Diagnosis: Still Postmortem—But Progress Is Happening
Currently, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death through brain tissue analysis.
However, researchers are developing biomarkers and imaging techniques to detect signs of CTE in living individuals. A 2024 study made progress by linking behavioral symptoms (e.g., aggression or depression, mood swings and impulsivity) to tau buildup, bringing us closer to a living diagnosis.
New Discoveries
A potential new subtype of CTE—called cortical-sparing CTE (CSCTE)—was recently identified. It features tau buildup in different brain regions and may present with less cognitive impairment but earlier behavioral symptoms.
This suggests CTE may not be a one-size-fits-all disease, and personalized diagnostic and treatment approaches could be on the horizon.
Treatment and Prevention
Convestional medicine says there’s no cure yet. Symptom management includes therapy, medication, and lifestyle interventions. “Watchful waiting” is common alongside drugs.
Prevention efforts focus on reducing head impacts, especially in youth sports and high-risk professions.
Youth Sports: A Wake-Up Call
A 2023 study found that over 40% of young contact sport athletes (under age 30) who donated their brains postmortem had signs of CTE—even though most only played at the amateur level. The JAMA study examined 152 brains of athletes who died before the age of 30 and had been exposed to repetitive head impacts from contact sports. Of those, 63 individuals (about 41%) were diagnosed with CTE at autopsy.
Here are a few key takeaways from the study:
Most of the athletes played football, followed by soccer and ice hockey.
The majority were amateur athletes—youth, high school, or college level—not professionals.
One of the cases included the first American female athlete diagnosed with CTE: a 28-year-old soccer player.
While many of the donors had symptoms like depression or apathy, not all symptomatic athletes had CTE, and the study emphasized that symptoms alone aren’t definitive indicators.
The study challenges the assumption that CTE is only a risk for long-term professionals and might lead to a range of changes to limit head contact sports until later ages.
A REFLECTION on a Related Case of “Failure to Inform”
Watching 20 years of research into CTE, it’s hard not to think of the Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee. For forty years between 1932 and 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) observed the natural history of untreated syphilis in hundreds of black men. Researchers did not offer treatment, even though penicillin, a cure for syphilis, became widely available after 1946. In addition to the 128 participants who died from syphilis or related complications, the withholding of the antibiotic also led to the infection of 40 wives and the birth of 19 children with congenital syphilis.
The parallel is that CTE is a disease with a beginning, followed by symptoms that are observable, even without a diagnosis. Humans learn to avoid or limit exposure to situations or environments where they may pick up a disease. Even without a doctor’s diagnosis, victims and people close to them notice sickness. Moms and dads of children suffering from lingering concussion symptoms don’t have to rely on a medical system that lacks awareness about healing modalities like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). It’s as true for adults and athletes.
CAPITALISM IN THE SADDLE: Research Pays Better Than “Cures” When There’s No Drugs Involved
There’s a growing set of researchers devoting themselves to the study of CTE. There’s no lack of brains for the forensic pathologists. What with the new “sports” of Slap Fighting, and “Run It Straight” and the broadening appeal of Mixed Martial Arts, there’s money to be made in “Commercializing Concussion,” as the BBC puts it.
There’s growing funding for Brain Banks. There isn’t a definitive count of all organizations studying Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the U.S., but several major institutions and research consortia are leading the charge. Here are some of the most prominent:
1. UNITE Brain Bank (Boston University)
One of the largest CTE brain banks in the world.
Has studied over 1,300 donated brains, primarily from athletes and veterans.
2. VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank
A collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston University, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
Focuses on military and sports-related brain trauma.
3. NIH/NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Funds and conducts research on CTE and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Supports the TRACK-TBI and CONNECT-TBI studies, which include long-term tracking of brain injury outcomes.
4. Mayo Clinic Brain Bank
Conducts neuropathological studies on CTE and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Has published findings on CTE in amateur athletes.
5. Mount Sinai Brain Bank
Investigates neurodegenerative diseases, including CTE, with a focus on molecular and genetic mechanisms.
6. University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Brain Injury and Repair
Studies the long-term effects of TBI and potential links to CTE.
7. NIH NeuroBioBank.
Several international organizations are actively studying Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), especially as awareness of sports-related brain injuries grows worldwide. Here are some:
1. The Concussion in Sport Group (CISG)
An international panel of experts that produces the Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport, widely used to guide concussion protocols globally [none of which mention “oxygen” or healing the brain wound].
Their work influences CTE research by shaping how head injuries are recognized and managed in sports.
2. Canadian Concussion Centre (Toronto Western Hospital)
Conducts research on long-term effects of concussions, including CTE.
Collaborates with international partners and has published studies on neuropathology in athletes.
3. Australian Sports Brain Bank
Collects and studies brains from athletes exposed to repetitive head trauma.
Has identified CTE pathology in former rugby and Australian rules football players, contributing to global understanding of the disease.
4. UK Brain Bank for Dementia Research
While not exclusively focused on CTE, it supports research into neurodegenerative diseases, including those linked to traumatic brain injury.
British universities like University College London (UCL) are also involved in CTE-related studies.
5. International Concussion and Head Injury Research Foundation (ICHIRF)
Based in London, it studies long-term effects of sports-related head injuries in jockeys, rugby players, and other athletes.
Works with global partners to track cognitive and neurological outcomes.
6. World Rugby and FIFA Medical Research Programs
These governing bodies fund and collaborate on research into head injury prevention and long-term effects, including CTE.
Their findings influence global sports safety policies.
CTE is a brain wound, and Treatment is Available
CTE might start with the first Concussion. Recent research on acute concussions by Dr Daphne Denham demonstrates brain wound healing and symptom reduction/eradication within four Hyperbaric Oxygen sessions. There’s simply no excuse for medicine and the CTE-industry to continue to avoid a treatment with such scientific and clinical validation worldwide. Forensic pathology will continue to add to the identification of CTE-infected brains, but their work will not bring back the victims. Using some of their talents on early-stage treatment intervention, while it will reduce the number of brains they have to analyze, will prove of inestimable help to those suffering a deteriorating quality of life. Sadly, as with suicide prevention, lamenting the epidemic of concussions and CTE with “thoughts and prayers” and mere symptom reduction slips close to negligent behavior.
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Quick FOOTNOTE in a CASE STUDY: Bringing it home for Veterans.
Researchers studying US Naval Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen (SWCC boat operators) asked a question: Can exposures to dynamic forces sustained by US Naval special warfare combatant crewmen (SWCC), including repetitive, high-speed boat impacts with waves, predispose them to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)?
It is worth quoting from their findings: “In this neuropathological case study of a deceased, 44.9-year-old SWCC operator who served a 12-year career with at least 4 combat deployments, we report severe CTE. . . . it is our interpretation that occupational exposures of a SWCC career, including prolonged and extensive exposure to repetitive physical forces applied to the head from high-speed boat impacts with waves, may be sufficient to promote or otherwise contribute to the development of CTE.” The Navy suicide rate is at a four-year high.
Our on-going successful HBOT treatments of multiple SWCC operators confirms that we can interrupt the concussion cascade that can lead to CTE, and reduce the suicide rate. Heal Brains. Stop Suicides. Restore Lives. TreatNOW
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?The TreatNOW Mission is ending service member suicides. Along the way, we have learned that we can end suicidal ideation, help end symptoms of PTSD, get patients off most of their drugs, and heal brain wounds to end the effects of Concussion, BLAST injury, mild TBI Persistent Post Concussive Syndrome, and polytrauma from AHI, Burn Pits, and COVID. No Veteran or civilian has ever been killed while undergoing HBOT treatment for TBI/PTSD. For a video Summary, see: https://www.youtube.com/@treatnowdotorg/videos