Chapter 11, Problem 2QC

Summary Introduction

To review:

The procedure that could be feasibly done to find out if repetitive head trauma leads to brain damage and dementia later in life.

Introduction:

The potential long-term risks of repetitive head trauma were completely unknown for a long time. Recently, new studies have shown that athletes who compete in sports with high rates of head impact are at a possible risk for permanent degenerative brain disease later in life. This condition has been termed as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which basically means permanent pathological changes in the brain due to repeated blows to the head.