In the News

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes can develop in their teens, according to results of a recent study in the October JAMA Neurology. Researchers examined neuropathologic and clinical symptoms in 152 athletes who died between the ages of 13 and 29 with a history of repetitive head impacts. They diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in 63 athletes (41%), 60 of whom had stage I or II CTE, considered mild, and three with stage III. Contact sports, such as football, ice hockey, soccer, and rugby, were the most common sports played by those with CTE. In an accompanying online interview, lead investigator Ann C. McKee noted that concussions are not the sole culprit. “It's the buildup of these small hits, these hits that don't cause symptoms, that . . . increase the risk for CTE,” McKee said. She added that helmets do not protect against the very rapid acceleration-deceleration rotational contact injuries that lead to brain damage.