Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: The Horse Is Still Chasing the Cart

Abstract

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) occupies a unique and expanding position in both the scientific and lay communities concerned with sport participation at all levels. The benefits of rapid, widespread reporting and increased public awareness are counterbalanced by misinformation and an oversimplification of an increasingly complex topic. In this Viewpoint, we will describe the current understanding of CTE pathology and proposed criteria for characterizing traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), the proposed clinical syndrome associated with underlying CTE pathology, but possibly other proteinopathies as well. We want to emphasize that CTE and TES are not the same entity, at least according to our current understanding. We additionally highlight those at greatest risk for CTE and the significant challenges to symptom attribution specific to these populations. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(9):672-675. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.0612.

Keywords: CTE; chronic traumatic encephalopathy; concussion; sports; traumatic encephalopathy syndrome.