Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in sports: a historical and narrative review

ABSTRACT

My objectives are to review: 1) a brief history of sport-related concussion (SRC) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), 2) the evolution of CTE in American professional football, 3) the data regarding SRC/CTE as they relate to depression and suicide, 4) the data on the neurocognitive effects of subconcussion/repetitive head trauma (with emphases on heading the ball in soccer and early exposure to football), 5) the evidence related to SRC and neurodegenerative diseases, 6) the published studies of CTE, 7) the NINDS neuropathological criteria for CTE, 8) public beliefs about SRC/CTE, and 9) the scientific questions regarding CTE.

Acknowledgments

I extend my appreciation to Benjamin Brett, M.S., for his technical expertise in the preparation of the manuscript, and to the members of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center for their initiative, enthusiasm, and collaborative efforts.

Declaration of Interest

GS Solomon is a consultant for the Nashville Predators, Tennessee Titans, and the athletic departments of Tennessee Tech University and the University of Tennessee, fees paid to institution. He is also a consultant to the National Football League Department of Health and Safety.

Disclosures statement

1) I am a full-time employee, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; 2) either Vanderbilt or I receive consulting fees and/or expense reimbursements from the Nashville Predators, Tennessee Titans, Tennessee Tech Athletics, University of Tennessee Athletics; 3) on October 1, 2017, I became a consultant to the NFL Department of Health and Safety; and 4) I have received honoraria and/or expense reimbursements for presentations at professional meetings (including today). My disclaimers include: 5) I have not knowingly seen patients involved in litigation nor have I done forensic consulting for more than 10 years; 6) this is not a systematic review of the published literature; my own biases in the selection of papers reviewed and the opinions presented are acknowledged; and 7) this presentation is not endorsed by any organization with which I am affiliated. These are my opinions.

Additional information

Funding

No grants or outside funding supported this work.