chronic traumatic encephalopathy

noun

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.

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Buoniconti had previously been diagnosed with dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE. — Jill Martin, CNN, "Miami Dolphins great and Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti is dead at 78," 31 July 2019 Following an evaluation of his brain after his death, Tyler Hilinski was revealed to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries that often occur in football. — C.j. Doon, baltimoresun.com, "Can Maryland and Penn State preserve their ranked matchup? Most intriguing college football questions for Week 3," 13 Sep. 2019 Concussions have been linked to a brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is the result of consistent head trauma from blows to the area. — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, "Former NHL player Greg Johnson died of apparent suicide, according to report," 18 July 2019 Recent studies by Boston University researchers on the brains of deceased players, including Aaron Hernandez, have found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease also known as CTE. — Michael Levenson, BostonGlobe.com, "Ex-NFL players six times more likely than the general public to report cognitive problems, study finds," 30 Aug. 2019 Another protein called tau also builds up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s or other tau disorders, such as the chronic traumatic encephalopathy experienced by athletes and soldiers. — Bret Stetka, Scientific American, "Antisense Drugs for Huntington’s, ALS and Prion Diseases Could Meet the Dire Need for Brain Treatments," 15 Aug. 2019 The protein, which indicates brain cell damage, is linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition that can cause memory loss, depression, and emotional instability, and can eventually lead to dementia. — Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, "Just one season of playing football—even without a concussion—can cause brain damage," 7 Aug. 2019 Perhaps more problematically, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can only be diagnosed posthumously. — Robert Klemko, SI.com, "You Never Knew Kellen Winslow Jr.," 13 June 2019 The parents of former Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski say their son had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death. — Tom Schad, USA TODAY, "Parents of former Washington State QB Tyler Hilinski say he had CTE when he committed suicide," 26 June 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.

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7 Oct 2019

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The first known use of chronic traumatic encephalopathy was in 1957

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chronic traumatic encephalopathy

noun

Medical Definition of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

: a progressive neurological disease that is found especially in athletes (as boxers, wrestlers, or football players) who have experienced repetitive, typically minor injury (as concussion) to the brain and 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.

… it is only in the past decade that scientists have identified the problem in American football players. They have also been able to identify, on autopsy, pathological markers for the disease, now called chronic traumatic encephalopathy …— Jeffrey Bartholet, Scientific American, February 2012 [Dr. Robert] Cantu said that symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy include depression and erratic behavior, but he declined to speculate on any role the condition played in Benoit's final violent acts.— Alan Schwarz, The New York Times, 6 Sept. 2007