chronic traumatic encephalopathy
nounDefinition 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.
Examples of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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 The law is aimed at preventing a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. — SFChronicle.com, "Is high school football slowly dying? Read the latest numbers for California," 1 Aug. 2019 Late in life, Buoniconti battled a devastating and untreatable neurodegenerative disease that was most likely CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). — Los Angeles Times, "Nick Buoniconti, former Miami Dolphin great and Hall of Fame linebacker, dies at 78," 31 July 2019 The study will follow 20 former high-level female soccer players, all of whom will be 40 or older, to determine whether headers cause the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy. — Sophia Eppolito, BostonGlobe.com, "BU launches CTE study of former female soccer players," 28 June 2019These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more