‘Punch drunk syndrome’: an introduction to CTE, clinical relevance and pathology

Written by Sharon Salt (Editor)

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), formerly known as dementia pugilistica or ‘punch drunk syndrome’, is described as a progressive neurodegenerative disease in people with a history of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury. The symptoms of CTE are extremely similar to those seen in other forms of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., cognitive impairment, memory loss, Parkinsonism, increasing confusion and disorientation, and slurred speech). As these clinical symptoms are shared with other neurodegenerative diseases, there’s currently no available test to diagnose the condition. At present, the most reliable way of confirming diagnosis of CTE is by examining post mortem brain tissue for...

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