Chronic traumatic encephalopathy – current state of knowledge

Bryliński Łukasz, Drożak Paulina, Drożak Martyna, Augustowska Katarzyna, Duda Piotr, Bura Agata, Rudnicka-Drożak Ewa. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy – current state of knowledge. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2021;11(8):86-100. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2021.11.08.010 https://apcz.umk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/JEHS/article/view/JEHS.2021.11.08.010 https://zenodo.org/record/5201470 The journal has had 5 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. § 8. 2) and § 12. 1. 2) 22.02.2019. © The Authors 2021; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author (s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial license Share alike. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 01.08.2021. Revised: 10.08.2021. Accepted: 14.08.2021. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy – current state of knowledge Łukasz Bryliński1, Paulina Drożak1, Martyna Drożak1, Katarzyna Augustowska1, Piotr Duda1, Agata Bura1, Ewa Rudnicka-Drożak2 Students’ Scientific Association of Chair and Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Lublin. Chair and Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Lublin. Abstract Introduction and purpose. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a tauopathy caused by repetitive, mild head injuries. It is characterized by perivascular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the neurons and astrocytes. CTE leads to changes in central nervous system, both on microscopic and macroscopic level. The aim of the study was to present the current knowledge on chronic traumatic encephalopathy among athletes, its predisposing factors, symptoms and consequences, as well as diagnostic methods and treatment. Description. CTE occurs among contact sport players, such as American football, ice hockey, soccer, baseball, box and MMA (mixed martial arts), as well as among soldiers and victims of domestic violence. Repetitive head injuries and long career duration increase the risk of CTE. Symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy include a commonly occurring triad: cognitive disturbances, behavioral problems and mood disturbances. Other symptoms include memory loss, parkinsonism, headaches, speech and walking problems. Currently, the only diagnostic method of CTE is a posthumous detection of neuropathological markers. Methods such as detection of exosomal tau protein in plasma and imaging techniques give hope to diagnose CTE in alive patients. Treatment methods of CTE, such as LIPUS (low intensity pulsed ultrasound) therapy are currently being developed. Conclusions. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy among athletes is a serious problem that affects multiple people due to the popularity of contact sports. Thus, an emphasis should be put on prevention, raising awareness and appropriate protection of athletes through changes in regulations and improvement of protective equipment. Key words: chronic traumatic encephalopathy; athlete