CTE: Understanding the Diagnosis and Research

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

• CTE is a progressive and fatal brain degeneration caused by repeated blows to the head and repeated episodes of concussion.
• It is commonly found in ex-players of contact sports such as AFL.
• Symptoms include memory loss, mood changes, personality changes, erratic and impulsive behavior, confusion and disorientation, difficulty thinking, and motor impairments such as tremors.
• CTE can only be properly diagnosed by examining sections of the brain in an autopsy.
• There is a build-up of a protein called Tau that interferes with the functioning of the neurons.
• There is no known cure for CTE and treatments are all based around supporting the individual.

Parkinson's Disease

• Diagnosis involves ruling out other possible diseases via MRI and PET scans and lab tests.
• There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but some treatments help reduce the severity of the symptoms.
• Treatment options include medication that increases the amount of dopamine in the brain and deep brain stimulation where electrodes are surgically inserted into the brain.
• Research has shown that Parkinson's may begin in the gut with constipation as a very early symptom, and individuals with PD have decreased levels of certain gut microbiota associated with good neural health.

Acquired Brain Injuries

• Acquired brain injury is used to differentiate brain injury from neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD and ADHD that people are born with and damage that occurs after birth.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a type of acquired brain injury that occurs when external force causes damage to the brain.

Case Studies

• Phineas Gage Case Study: Discuss the Bio-Psycho-Social changes in Phineas Gage's life after his brain injury, including biological factors (pain, fever, loss of eyesight, and epilepsy), psychological factors (personality changes), and social factors (difficulty keeping a job and struggling to maintain friendships).
• Liam Knight Case Study: Study the general Bio-Psycho-Social functions after brain injury.

Non-Traumatic Brain Injury

• This is a type of brain injury that is due to some internal factor such as lack of oxygen or a tumor.