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How CTE causes Brain Damage

1,964 views · Published 27 September 2018 · 4:27 · Indexed 1 November 2026
Channel: MEDspiration · 2018 · Education
This research on CTE was published in the National Library of Medicine:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3795597/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5094259/

NFL BRAIN BANK 🧠 
#MindBodySpirit
 
Here we see Dr. Ann McKee, Director of Neuropathology & Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy performing an autopsy & CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) exam on these 3 brains! 
The first brain belonged to a man who lived up to his late 40s, he played high school football & died from a suicide attempt.
The second brain belonged to a man who lived up until his 80s. He played many years of professional football.
The third brain belonged to a man who played in the @nfl for 14-15 years.
Gross findings in these brains include the hallmark findings of end stage CTE - crevices between the gyri; thinning of the hypothalamic area; atrophy of the medial temporal lobes; enlarged ventricles; & a thin corpus collosum.
CTE has now been detected in the brains of more than 200 football players after death!
It is associated with repetitive head impact (concussions & sub-concussive blows) in contact sport athletes & combat veterans. These findings are due to repeated impacts to the head which cause the brain ricochet back & forth (accelerate & decelerate) inside the skull. This causes the brain inside the skull to elongate & stretch. The stretching puts a ton of physical force on the individual nerve cells of the brain (e.g., the neurons & axons) & can lead to the build up of a protein called ‘Tau,’ which can clump up & kill brain cells! 
Loss of memory, behavior & personal changes, including mood changes like depression or extreme aggression, are common clinical findings in individuals who may be suffering from CTE. Prevention of this condition involves minimizing the amount of head contact & blows to the head. This is part of the reason why the @nfl’s concussion protocol & different rules on hitting have become increasingly stringent over the past few years! 
#MEDspiration 

Written by: Navpreet Singh Badesha, MD ©09/27/2018 All Rights Reserved. 
Video credit: Courtesy of the Associated Press & the VA New England Healthcare System - Bedford, MA

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How CTE causes Brain Damage

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