Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in Australia: six years of the Australian Sports Brain Bank — The Association Specialists
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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in Australia: six years of the Australian Sports Brain Bank (21423)

Andrew J Affleck 1 2 , Catherine M Suter 1 2 , Monica A Clarke 1 2 , Alan J Pearce 3 , Michael E Buckland 1 2
  1. Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  2. Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  3. School of Health Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease characterised by the abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau around blood vessels in the sulcal depths of the cerebral cortex. CTE is almost exclusively seen in individuals with a history of repetitive head injury (RHI) and is associated with a range of cognitive, behavioural and psychological symptoms experienced during life.

The Australian Sports Brain Bank (ASBB) was established in 2018 to identify the prevalence of CTE in at risk Australians and to support research to understand CTE further. In 2021, we reported some outcomes of the first three years of the ASBB. Here, a further three years on, we provide an update.

Brain donations have increased from twenty-one brains donated in 2021 to ninety-one to date. The prevalence of CTE has reduced from 57% (12 CTE cases out of 21) in 2021 to 50% (45 CTE cases out of 91) currently. RHI remains the greatest risk factor for CTE. In 2022 we found the first case of CTE in a female ex-professional athlete and serving defence force member. CTE is still being detected in younger individuals with death occurring on average 10 years earlier in those with CTE. Though suicide is a complex issue, a notable similarity since 2021 is the high proportion of individuals with CTE who died due to suicide (42%) compared to those without CTE (17%).

This latest update on CTE reiterates the need for and importance of brain donation to underpin current and future CTE research.