Researchers found a striking 56 % loss of a specific type of neurons in a particular brain area, which takes hard hits during impacts and also where the tau protein accumulates. Findings suggest that neuronal damage can occur much earlier than is visible by the currently known CTE disease marker tau.
Repeated Head Impacts Cause Early Neuron Loss and Inflammation
Researchers found a striking 56 % loss of a specific type of neurons in a particular brain area, which takes hard hits during impacts and also where the tau protein accumulates. Findings suggest that neuronal damage can occur much earlier than is visible by the currently known CTE disease marker tau.
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Research supported by the National Institutes of Health( NIH) shows that repeated head impacts from contact sports can cause early and lasting changes in the brains of young- to middle-aged athletes. The findings show that these changes may occur years before chronic traumatic encephalopathy( CTE) develops its hallmark disease features, which can now only be detected by examining brain tissue after death.
“ This study underscores that many changes in the brain can occur after repetitive head impacts,” said Walter Koroshetz, M. D., director of NIH’ s National Institute of Neu-