What is CTE and who does it affect?
CTE is a progressive brain disease which develops due to repetitive trauma to the head, it causes the death of brain cells and gets worse over time. People who play contact sports are particularly at risk of developing CTE, and although it was first noted in 1928 as ‘punch drunk syndrome’, up until 2016 the NFL denied its existence. CTE can only be properly identified if an autopsy is performed after death, and of the 376 NFL players whose brains have been autopsied, 345 had CTE, which shows how important awareness is of this disease.
CTE mainly has attentional focus on men, however 7 months after Heather Anderson- a former Crows AFLW premiership player- took her own life in July of 2022, she became the first female athlete to be diagnosed with a low-level form of CTE by the Australian Sports Brain Bank. This is a significant step into understanding the effect of contact sports on women’s brains.
Anderson is not the only athlete with CTE to have taken their own life, with Aaron Hernandez, a high-level football player for the New England Patriots who was considered to be ‘on the rise’ and was winning awards, taking his own life at the age 27 in a jail cell after being charged with the murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd. Dr Ann McKee the trauma neurologist who performed the autopsy on Hernandez described his frontal lobe as ‘almost non-functioning’ which may have caused changes to his behaviour and decision-making and could have contributed to his actions in the murder of Odin Lloyd.
What are the symptoms of CTE?
The symptoms of CTE are changes in mood and behaviours, which may be expressed as mood swings, irritability, anxiety, depression, paranoia and impulsive control difficulties. People with CTE may also experience cognitive difficulties such as impaired judgement and memory, as well as dementia-related symptoms and motor symptoms.
What are the treatments for CTE?
There is no way to cure CTE however the support given is similar to the support given to dementia patients, for example:
-Physiotherapy for any movement difficulties
-Speech and Language therapy (SLT) for help with memory and speech
-Medications may also be explored if thought to help.
Why is it important to talk about CTE?
Sports are important for both physical and mental health. However, it’s important to keep talking about what could happen if we don’t protect ourselves and our athletes properly. Teaching correct technique and utilising protective gear are vital steps which can’t afford to be missed when playing contact sports no matter what level.
How can I learn more about CTE?
The NHS website and similar websites can aid understanding of CTE, the symptoms and when to seek help if you think you may have CTE
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/
THE CTE talk podcast on TikTok and Spotify talks to people living with CTE and looks into the life of a caregiver to someone with CTE
https://www.tiktok.com/@ctetalkpodcast?_t=ZN-8ufmFouF1hW&_r=1
The Netflix documentary ‘Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez’ is a great watch for anyone wanting to learn more about Hernandez and his story.