What causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy?

What causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy?

Repetitive head impacts can damage fibers that course through the brain and injure brain cells themselves. This can be associated with a buildup of a protein known as tau, which may have a role in cell death. The loss of these cells can interfere with healthy brain function, causing neurological changes that include memory loss, depression, aggressiveness, and balance and movement problems.

It is possible that several types of head injuries can lead to tau accumulation in the brain, including:

• A series of mild hits that cause no symptoms
• Mild traumatic brain injuries (concussions)
• More severe damage known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

It is not known how many head traumas, or exactly what kinds, it takes for CTE to develop.