Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is more common in people who experience extensive repetitive head impacts, and infrequent among individuals with isolated brain injuries or less extensive impacts, researchers from the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai have found.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, adds to knowledge of CTE, which has received extensive media attention amidst limited research in representative samples.

CTE is characterized by a neurodegenerative pathology involving abnormal accumulations of tau protein in the brain associated with head trauma, primarily identified in deceased people who sustained extensive exposure to repetitive head impacts while playing contact sports—especially American-style football. CTE has been reported more rarely in individuals who sustained repetitive head impacts through head-banging, military service, or intimate partner violence.