chronic traumatic encephalopathy

noun

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

: a progressive neurological disease that is found especially in athletes (such as boxers, wrestlers, or football players) who have experienced repetitive, mild injury to the brain and that is characterized by short-term memory loss, concentration deficits, confusion, depression, behavioral and personality changes (such as an increase in irritability, impulsivity, or aggression), speech and gait abnormalities, parkinsonism, and dementia —abbreviation CTE — called also dementia pugilistica, punch-drunk syndrome

Note: The neurological deterioration of chronic traumatic encephalopathy is accompanied by atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes and accumulation of tau protein in neurofibrillary tangles.

Recent Examples of chronic traumatic encephalopathy from the Web

Anyway, of local interest, at least to us, is Dr. Ann McKee, the BU professor of neurology and pathology who’s done a lot of pioneering work around the issue of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

— mark shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, "Time’s most influential list includes BU professor Dr. Ann McKee," 19 Apr. 2018
The autopsy was performed by Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist and co-founder of the Brain Injury Research Institute, who is credited with discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in professional football players.

— nicole chavez, CNN, "Stephon Clark's attorneys to reveal independent autopsy results," 30 Mar. 2018
Steve Jordan, father of New Orleans Saints All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan, is participating in a new study aimed at detecting chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the living, according to a report by AZ Central on Thursday (March 29).

— josh katzenstein, NOLA.com, "Cameron Jordan's father joins study testing for CTE among living: report," 29 Mar. 2018
Topics include water dowsing, the history of rock and roll, Walt Whitman – American Giant, Hiram Bingham IV - Holocaust Rescuer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy and fashion and politics.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Killingly Edition," 27 Mar. 2018
In 2016, an NFL official for the first time acknowledged there is a link between football head injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a devastating brain disease.

— katherine peralta and rick rothacker, charlotteobserver, "Why buying the Carolina Panthers – or any NFL team – is risky business | Charlotte Observer," 23 Mar. 2018
According to Acho, Kristen Dibble plans to donate her husband's brain to the chronic traumatic encephalopathy study being conducted in Boston.

— carlos monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "Dorne Dibble, Lions world champ, Michigan State All-American, dies at 88," 2 Mar. 2018
This brain condition, called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., is thought to be caused by blows to the head, including the kind of impacts that occur frequently during tackle football and other contact sports.

— gretchen reynolds, New York Times, "Hits to the Head May Result in Immediate Brain Damage," 31 Jan. 2018
He was later found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to repeated, often subconcussive, head trauma.

— rick armstrong, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora-area coaches weigh in on proposed tackle football ban for kids under 12," 30 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chronic traumatic encephalopathy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

1957

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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