Chromatic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

Sathvika Gandavarapu and Diya Shah
Sep 17, 2020
2 min read

Updated: Sep 21, 2020

What it is

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a rare disorder describing brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas.

Symptoms

Memory loss
Confusion
Personality changes (including depression and suicidal thoughts)
Erratic behavior (including aggression)
Problems paying attention and organizing thoughts
Difficulty with balance and motor skills/ some tremor

The symptoms of CTE generally do not present until years or decades after the brain trauma occurred or after one stops actively playing contact sports. While most concussion symptoms resolve within a few weeks, the symptoms can last for months or, in severe cases, even years.

Causes

Most documented cases have occurred in athletes with mild repetitive brain trauma (RBT) over an extended period of time. Other potential risk factors include military personnel (repeated exposure to concussions charges or large caliber ordnance), domestic violence, and repeated banging of the head. Playing football has also been linked with CTE with 99 percent of brains obtained from the National Football League have shown signs. Out of 202 deceased football players, 111 of which played in the NFL, 110 of the NFL players had CTE.

Tau Protein

A widespread accumulation of the tau protein forms clumps that slowly spread throughout the brain, killing brain cells. They become insoluble aggregates called neurofibrillary tangles. When binding with ribosomes during protein synthesis tau impairs ribosomal functions and alters protein translation. PET tracers that bind to the tau protein is one potential way to aid the diagnosis of CTE in living people. Neurons are made up of small tubes called microtubules that run through the entire length of the cell that get materials from one end of the neuron to the other. A protein called the Tau protein helps keep everything together by supporting the microtubules, which helps the brain function normally. When the microtubules are broken down, the Tau proteins roam freely inside the cell which can cause them to change shape and clump together. The clumps can continue to grow and spread to areas around the brain. In CTE, the Tau spreads in a unique pattern compared to other related diseases. It also spreads a lot slower, which is why symptoms take so much longer to show.