Explainer: What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy and how does it affect the brain

Danny Frawley has become the second Australian rules player to be diagnosed with CTE. This is what causes the progressive degenerative brain disease.

WHAT IS CTE?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative brain disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. It’s the accumulation of a normal cellular protein called Tau and is caused by repeated concussions and smaller hits or subconcussions. CTE symptoms include memory loss, confusion, depression, anxiety and often begin years after the last brain trauma. CTE can only be diagnosed post mortem.

WHAT IS THE BRAIN BANK?

The Australian Sports Brain Bank was established in 2018 by the neuropathology department at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and is part of a global initiative. Other banks are located in Auckland, Brazil and the US. Its charter is to “research long-term effects of concussion on the brain, with a view to developing new means of diagnosis of brain disease during life, and its treatment”.

WHY IS DANNY FRAWLEY’S DIAGNOSIS SIGNIFICANT?

Frawley is the second Australian rules player to be diagnosed with CTE, after Graham “Polly” Farmer who died last year after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The ASSB will use the findings and that of other cases for further research. Another 250 living sportspeople have pledged their brains.

For more go to brainbank.org.au

Originally published as Explainer: What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy and how does it affect the brain