CTE pathology in a neurodegenerative disorders brain bank

Evidence Suggests Amateur Contact Sports Increase Risk of Degenerative Disorder

Bieniek, K., Ross, O., Cormier, K., Walton, R., Soto-Ortolaza, A., & et. al. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy pathology in a neurodegenerative disorders brain bank. Acta Neuropathologica, 130(6), 877-889. doi:10."‹1007/"‹s00401-015-1502-4

A Mayo Clinic study, published in the December issue of Acta Neuropathologica, links amateur contact sports — football, boxing, wrestling, rugby, basketball, baseball and others played while in school — with the development of CTE, which when severe can affect mood, behavior and cognition.

This study is the first to use CTE neuropathologic criteria established by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) earlier this year to look for incidence of the disease in nonprofessional athletes, says the study’s senior author, Dennis Dickson, M.D., a neuropathologist at Mayo Clinic.

“Using these criteria, Bieniek’s report is the first detailed description of CTE pathology in a brain bank. As such, his work is groundbreaking,” Dr. Dickson says. “The frequency with which he found CTE pathology in former athletes exposed to contact sports was surprising. It is pathology that had gone previously unrecognized.” Bieniek is a member of Dr. Dickson’s laboratory.

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Posted on BrainLine December 3, 2015.

Comments (1)

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This is not my real name. I have a close friend that was a football player to his 1st year of college. He bragged about being so good at blocking and tackling. He said he was struck in the head so hard that his face part of the helmet was crush, his helmet flew off and his noise was broken and required surgery. He said he had broken ribs, and other body parts. The coaches packed in the cold/ice baths. He would be back on the field the next game/practice. He weighed approx. 200 lbs, 6'1-2. Now years later the game, the drinking/parties, hurt body parts is destroying his life day by day, week by week. He has had health issues, aches and pains. It so sad to watch. I tried to be understanding for a while, eventually to try to detach myself from this person, to allow his family to continue caring for him with doctors assistance. I had been separated from this friend for over 10 years, to be reconnected and then to see the changes was so surprising and sad. One of the biggest concerns was the way the friend mixed alcohol with their meds, yet denied. He stated his doctors said a drink was ok. Yet, I told him he always had more than 1 drink, which concerned me. Watching/feeling the moods was an emotional roller coaster. Please set up doctors in most states to help the athletes and military please.