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Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

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Tackling the Concussion Epidemic

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Abstract

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that develops years after repeated head injury and is characterized by a distinct pattern of deposition of microtubule-associated protein tau in neurons and astrocytes. The critical distinctive features that allow its separation from Alzheimer’s disease relate to the preferential distribution of tau around blood vessels, at the depth of the sulci, and the superficial layers of the cerebral cortex, the widespread involvement of subcortical nuclei, and the presence of tau immunoreactive thorny astrocytes. In addition, abnormal deposits of beta amyloid, alpha synuclein, and TDP 43 may occur. The clinical syndrome is variable but may include neuropsychiatric disturbances, dementia, parkinsonism, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Research, The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Division of Pathology, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

    David G. Munoz

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    David G. Munoz

  3. Department of Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Ian R. Mackenzie

  4. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Ian R. Mackenzie

Authors
  1. David G. Munoz
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  2. Ian R. Mackenzie
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Correspondence to David G. Munoz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Keenan Research Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and University of Toronto (Neurosurgery), Toronto, ON, Canada

    Tom A. Schweizer

  2. Departments of Critical Care and Anesthesia, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Andrew J. Baker

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Munoz, D.G., Mackenzie, I.R. (2022). Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. In: Schweizer, T.A., Baker, A.J. (eds) Tackling the Concussion Epidemic. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93813-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93813-0_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-93812-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-93813-0

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