What is CTE? Former NHL Player Greg Johnson’s Family Blame Brain Disease For Suicide

After Former NHL Player Greg Johnson was diagnosed with CTE, many fans have been wanting to know What is CTE. Read here.

By Blesson Daniel

Published on Jul 11, 2024 | 10:53 PM IST | 43.8K

NHL Team Edmonton Oilers fans [Credit-Getty]

In this Article

What is CTE?
What are the symptoms of CTE?

Greg Johnson, a former National Hockey NHL player who played 14 seasons in the NHL, was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a brain-wasting illness related to recurrent head trauma in contact sports.

Johnson's family and the Concussion Legacy Foundation confirmed the news in a joint statement Wednesday, five years after his suicide.

Carson, Johnson's daughter, took this opportunity to question the NHL's stance on CTE. However, the league has yet to recognize a relationship between repetitive head damage and the disease.

What is CTE?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive and deadly brain illness caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), such as concussions and strikes to the head. It is also linked to the development of dementia.

According to studies, those who encounter TBI in their early to midlife are two to four times more likely to acquire dementia later in life. This risk appears to be significantly higher in patients with multiple TBIs, however further study is needed to confirm this.

Athletes who participate in contact sports (e.g., boxers, football players, etc.) and military veterans are at the highest risk for CTE, most likely due to their higher exposure to repetitive hits to the brain.

What are the symptoms of CTE?

Research on CTE diagnosis, cause(s), symptoms, and risk factors is still in its early phases. Not all experts agree on the symptoms of CTE, however, the illness has been linked to:

Memory and cognitive issues
Symptoms may include disorientation, personality changes, aggressive conduct, despair, and suicide ideation.

Other symptoms may include trouble paying attention and organizing ideas, as well as issues with balance and motor skills. People may not notice these potential CTE symptoms until years or decades after a brain injury occurs.

Only after death can a CTE diagnosis be made, as an autopsy can indicate whether the known CTE brain abnormalities are present. When CTE is suspected, a comprehensive medical history, mental status assessment, neurological examinations, brain imaging, and other tests may be performed to rule out other causes. CTE, like Alzheimer's, contains tau, a protein found in nerve cells that has been linked to dementia.

However, researchers discovered that CTE has a distinct pattern of aberrant tau accumulation in the tissues around blood vessels that distinguishes it from other tau-related brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's. Better imaging methods are now available, and studies are beginning to establish that CTE differs from Alzheimer's. More study is required to completely understand the brain alterations that occur in CTE and how they are connected.

Also Read: How Many NHL Teams No Longer Exist? Find Out