A Clinical Approach to the Diagnosis of Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome: A Review

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) refers to pathologic changes that have been found in some individuals with a history of repetitive traumatic impact to the head (hereinafter referred to as head trauma). These changes cannot be assessed during the clinical evaluation of a living patient. The ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArchives of neurology (Chicago) Vol. 73; no. 6; p. 743
Main Authors Reams, Nicole, Eckner, James T, Almeida, Andrea A, Aagesen, Andrea L, Giordani, Bruno, Paulson, Hank, Lorincz, Matthew T, Kutcher, Jeffrey S
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chicago American Medical Association 01.06.2016
Subjects
Biomarkers
Medical diagnosis
Neurological disorders
Pathology
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Summary:Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) refers to pathologic changes that have been found in some individuals with a history of repetitive traumatic impact to the head (hereinafter referred to as head trauma). These changes cannot be assessed during the clinical evaluation of a living patient. The neuropathologic features, taxonomy, history, role of biomarkers in diagnosis, and existing criteria of CTE are reviewed. Previous criteria have been proposed to approach the living patient; however, a unified, specific approach is needed for the practicing clinician. We propose a new diagnostic construct for the clinical syndrome associated with repetitive exposure to head trauma: traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. This clinical paradigm will provide the framework for a diagnosis of probable, possible, and unlikely traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, with included discussion regarding the minimum exposure, nature of the clinical course, and additional clinical features needed for diagnosis. While prospective longitudinal studies are ongoing to further elucidate the association of exposure to head trauma, clinical features, and the development of pathologic changes, a corresponding clinical construct for diagnosis is necessary.
ISSN:2168-6149
2168-6157