Neurodegeneration and sport

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sports Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Media attention on concussion in sports has increased focus on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
• CTE is typically diagnosed postmortem in retired athletes presenting with cognitive, mood, or behavioral symptoms and tau deposition in the brain.
• Confounding variables such as genetics, aging, toxins, and postmortem processing can influence tau deposition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review neurodegenerative diseases presenting with similar findings in non-athletes.
• To examine pathological changes associated with normal aging.
• To contextualize CTE pathological findings considering various contributing factors.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Review of aging-related pathological brain changes.
• Analysis of CTE pathology in relation to confounding factors.

Main Results:

• There is insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between sports concussion and CTE.
• Neuropathological findings in athletes may be attributed to normal aging, opiate abuse, or frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
• The role of genetic factors in increasing athletes' risk for neurodegenerative diseases requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• The direct causation between concussion and CTE in athletes remains unestablished.
• Alternative explanations, including normal aging and other neurodegenerative conditions, should be considered for CTE-like findings.
• Further research is needed to determine if specific genetic predispositions elevate the risk of neurodegenerative diseases in athletes.