Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), also called Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a disease of the human brain. It is caused by repeated blows or injury to the brain over time. Diagnosis is confirmed by an autopsy examination of the brain after death. There is no known cure, but available data suggests that the disease can be avoided by avoiding and minimizing brain trauma. The disease was previously called dementia pugilistica because it was the diagnosis given to punch-drunk boxers whose behavior and speech resembled drunken intoxication.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy has been diagnosed in athletes who have participated in boxing and football. Recently, there are reports of CTE in athletes who play baseball, rugby and even soccer players who repeatedly "head" the ball. Between 2008 and 2010, the bodies of twelve former professional NFL football players underwent postmortem evaluations for CTE, and all of them showed evidence of the disease, indicating a conservatively estimated prevalence rate of 3.7% among professional football players if no other players who died during this period had CTE. As of December 2012, thirty-three former NFL players have been diagnosed post-mortem with CTE, including former Detroit Lions lineman and eight-time Pro Bowler Lou Creekmur, former Houston Oilers and Miami Dolphins linebacker John Grimsley, and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Tom McHale. An early player to be diagnosed with CTE in 2002 was Mike Webster of the Steelers.

Evidence of CTE was found in the autopsy of an 18-year-old high school football player.

The autopsy of at least one mixed martial arts fighter, Jordan Parsons, found signs of CTE.

Signs and symptoms of CTE have been mistaken for evidence of demonic possession, with tragic consequences.

Signs and Symptoms of CTE/TBI

Immediate danger signs

headache that gets worse and does not go away

weakness, numbness or decreased coordination

repeated vomiting or nausea

slurred speech

disturbed vision

very drowsy appearance, or cannot wake up

pupil of one eye is larger than the other

convulsions or seizures

cannot recognize people or places

increasing confusion, restless or agitated

unusual behavior

loss of consciousness

Symptoms

Symptoms of TBI usually fall into four categories

Thinking/Remembering

difficulty thinking clearly

feeling slowed down

difficulty concentrating

difficulty remembering new information

Physical

headache

fuzzy or blurry vision

nausea early on, soon after trauma to the head

dizziness

sensitivity to noise or light

balance problems

fatigue, feeling tired, having no energy

Emotional/Mood

irritability

sadness

much more emotional, sensitive, moody

nervousness or anxiety

Sleep

sleeping more than usual

sleeping less than usual

trouble falling asleep

Progression

Early symptoms include a decline of memory and executive (decision) functioning, depression, suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide) and/or behavior (attempts to commit suicide), and poor impulse control. Symptoms may begin years or decades after cessation of brain trauma exposure although onset is earlier than most other neurodegenerative diseases. Disease progress is slow and eventually leads to dementia. In some individuals, CTE may lead to a motor neuron disease, similar to ALS.

CTE/TBI and demonic possession

The signs and symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy have been tragically mistaken for signs of demonic possession. The possibility of demonic possession or oppression is almost non-existent, and should be the last suspicion. If anyone is observed experiencing any conditions suggestive of possession, experienced pastoral care counsellors, mental health and medical professionals, and experts in paranormal phenomena and research, all strongly advise immediately contacting a physician for further evaluation. A medical consultation should always be the first step. Some innocent persons suffering from the effects of CTE including children and young teens and others with PTSD and relatively defenseless elderly persons in their sixties and seventies suffering from dementia resulting from CTE, have been targeted by ignorant individuals as being victims of possession by evil spirits or the Devil, because the signs and symptoms of their speech and/or behavior due to CTE are misinterpreted as evidence of evil presences. They are accused of being possessed, often being held down and "prayed over", and then restrained and bound tightly (sometimes even subjected to involuntary confinement for hours, days, weeks, even months) and repeatedly subjected to the ritualistic torments of prolonged, barbaric amateur "exorcisms" resulting in permanent mental, emotional, painful, and bloody physical injuries, even death. These vicious "exorcists", sometimes themselves the misguided spouses and parents and adult children of the victims, when apprehended have been charged, tried, and either found to be mentally ill, or guilty of murder and sentenced to imprisonment or execution for committing a heinous crime.

Important health issue

Given the millions of athletes participating in contact sports that necessarily involve repetitive brain trauma, and the military troops exposed to repetitive brain trauma from explosive blasts and other blunt-force injuries, and others in society (workers) who experience repetitive head injuries, CTE represents an important health issue.

External links

• League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis Frontline Documentary
• Head Injury (Traumatic Brain Injury) Medical Author: Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD (emedicinehealth.com)
• PM & R, Concussion Supplement. Long-term Consequences of Repetitive Brain Trauma: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Robert A. Stern, PhD, David O. Riley, BS, David H. Daneshvar, MA, Christopher J. Nowinski, BA, Robert C. Contu, MD, Ann C. McKee, MD. PM & R, Vol. 3. Iss. 10S2, 2011, pp. S460-S467