Neurobiology and Impact of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Athletes: A Focused Review

TL;DR

This paper reviews the causes, effects, and challenges in understanding chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes.

Contribution

The paper highlights gaps in CTE research and suggests future directions for diagnosis and treatment.

Findings

Tau protein accumulation and neuroinflammation are key factors in CTE development.

Standardized injury models and biomarkers for diagnosing CTE in living individuals are lacking.

Animal models are important for advancing CTE understanding.

Abstract

Recent reports have highlighted a troubling pattern of athletes exhibiting pronounced and unexplained behavioral changes. This phenomenon is often linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with repeated head injuries in contact sports, and is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal tau protein in the brain. This paper provides a focused review of the neurological and neurobehavioral mechanisms, prevention and treatments, and the role of animal models in advancing our understanding of CTE. Key findings have identified the accumulation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation as major contributing factors in the development of CTE. However, gaps in the literature, including the need for standardized injury models and biomarkers for diagnosing CTE in living individuals, point to future directions in refining diagnostic tools and developing targeted therapeutic interventions.