Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Known Causes, Unknown Effects

Diego Iacono; Sharon B Shively; Brian L Edlow; Daniel P Perl

doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2016.12.007

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Known Causes, Unknown Effects

Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2017 May;28(2):301-321. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2016.12.007. Epub 2017 Mar 8.

Authors

Diego Iacono¹, Sharon B Shively², Brian L Edlow³, Daniel P Perl⁴

Affiliations

¹ Brain Tissue Repository & Neuropathology Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), 6720A Rockledge Dr #100, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA.
² Brain Tissue Repository & Neuropathology Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), 6720A Rockledge Dr #100, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA; Department of Pathology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 175 Cambridge Street - Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
⁴ Brain Tissue Repository & Neuropathology Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Department of Pathology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Electronic address: daniel.perl@usuhs.edu.

PMID: 28390515
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmr.2016.12.007

Abstract

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neuropathologic diagnosis typically made in human brains with a history of repetitive traumatic brain injury (rTBI). It remains unknown whether CTE occurs exclusively after rTBI, or whether a single TBI (sTBI) can cause CTE. Similarly, it is unclear whether impact (eg, motor vehicle accidents) and non-impact (eg, blasts) types of energy transfer trigger divergent or common pathologies. While it is established that a history of rTBI increases the risk of multiple neurodegenerative diseases (eg, dementia, parkinsonism, and CTE), the possible pathophysiologic and molecular mechanisms underlying these risks have yet to be elucidated.

Keywords: Acute and long-term effects; Chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Diffuse axonal injury; Neurodegeneration; Neuropsychiatric disorders; Tau; Traumatic brain injury; β-Amyloid.

Published by Elsevier Inc.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Brain / physiopathology
Brain Injury, Chronic
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy / complications*
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy / etiology*
Dementia
Humans