Neurodegeneration and dementia

Abstract: The link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and risk for neurodegenerative disease has been studied for decades. Prior work focused mostly on how single or multiple isolated injuries involving loss of consciousness or posttraumatic amnesia influences risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Emerging data suggests that repetitive head impact exposure, both with and without these classic TBI symptoms, is a major risk factor for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Various neurodegenerative proteins have been implicated across the spectrum of TBI severity and autopsy case series show that diverse co-pathology is the norm in selected cohorts. The cognitive, mood, and behavioral changes described in individuals found to have CTE and other pathologies postmortem are similarly diverse and likely reflect a complex combination of neurobiologic and psychosocial influences.