Traumatic Brain Injury: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

00:01 Let's talk just a little bit about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

00:04 This is the really feared and concerning long term risk in patients who have had multiple concussions and subconcussive injuries over time.

00:14 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is the long-term pathology that results from repeated traumatic brain injuries and is termed CTE.

00:25 The neuropathological features of CTE are hypothesized to be a tauopathy.

00:31 But this condition continues to be described and really, we see two things contributing to CTE.

00:37 One is repeated traumatic brain injuries, or concussions, and also a long period of subconcussive micro injuries that can also contribute to this pathology.

00:50 What are some of the clinical features? We see a range of symptoms that can characterize a chronic chronic traumatic encephalopathy, behavioral disturbances like aggression and impulsivity, mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations and cognitive impairments.

01:06 And we worry about each of these evaluating those in patients who have experienced prior traumatic brain injury.

01:15 In terms of evaluation, histopathologic diagnosis is rare in this condition and is really defined by autopsy.

01:22 There are no biomarkers, lab findings, imaging findings that are specific to CTE.

01:27 We're using our clinical examination to guide evaluation and diagnosis of this condition and treatment is preventive and supportive.

01:35 We look to decrease the number of traumatic injuries to the brain concussions, and optimize supportive care for the symptoms that arise from this condition.