A new study has connected stages III and IV chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) to a higher risk of dementia, according to the study’s funder, the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Key findings are summarized in a press release.
The analysis was conducted by Boston University CTE Center and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System researchers using 614 brains that were donated by individuals who experienced repetitive head impacts while alive, the cause of CTE. It is important to note that Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration were not present in any of the brains.
While examining the brains, the scientists discovered that those “with stage IV CTE were 4.5 times more likely to have had dementia during life than donors without CTE.” Additionally, donors with stages I and II CTE were found to not have an increased risk of dementia or cognitive impairment and functional decline, while “mood and behavioral symptoms were not observed at any stage of CTE.”
