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Updated: Dec 14, 2025
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In Vivo Protocol of Controlled Subconcussive Head Impacts for the Validation of Field Study Data
Published on: April 18, 2019
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Risk Factors for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Proposed Framework
Alyssa Phelps1, Jesse Mez1, Robert A Stern1,2,3
1Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
Seminars in Neurology
|July 17, 2020
Summary
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive head impacts (RHI). This study reviews risk factors, including RHI exposure and individual characteristics, to improve CTE risk assessment and prevention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
- Diagnosed in athletes, military veterans, and others with repetitive head impacts (RHI).
- Early risk characterization is crucial for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- Propose a framework of risk factors influencing CTE neuropathological development.
- Review cumulative RHI exposure as the environmental trigger for CTE.
- Examine non-head trauma factors influencing CTE development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of cumulative RHI exposure.
- Analysis of non-head trauma characteristics (age, sex, race, genetics).
- Framework development for CTE risk factors.
Main Results:
- Repetitive head impacts (RHI) are identified as the primary environmental trigger for CTE.
- Individual characteristics (age, sex, race, genetics) modulate CTE risk.
- Not all RHI-exposed individuals develop CTE, highlighting multifactorial etiology.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of risk factors is essential for CTE diagnosis and prevention.
- Future research should focus on refining risk assessment models.
- Preventative strategies should consider both RHI mitigation and individual susceptibility.
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