What else do we know about CTE?
- You’re unlikely to develop CTE from only one or a few knocks to the head.
- Repeated knocks to your head damage your brain over time.
- If a person is suspected to have developed CTE, avoiding alcohol, smoking and illicit substances is important to minimise the worsening of symptoms and progression of the disease.
- There are probable risks associated with people sustaining repeated head knocks and injuries and drinking alcohol or using illicit substances.
- CTE is often seen in people who have played contact sports or sports with risk of head knocks, experienced assaults, have been in active war zones or exposed to explosions, and have experienced multiple falls with head knocks.
Concussions and sub-concussions or impacts to the head can cause unseen injury to the brain.
Our medical and research experts for CTE advise that both concussion and sub-concussions contribute to CTE, empahising the importance of being aware that even without clinical symptoms, damage to the brain can occur.
The Brain Foundation helpfully describes a concussion and sub-concussion.
- A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury that can occur when the head or body experiences a sudden impact or jolt.
- The impact causes brain strain with resultant inflammation, damage to neurons, and a change in your metabolic state.
- Concussion was once believed to be a minor injury that does not cause ongoing complications. However, new research has found that 20-50% of patients report persistent side effects beyond one month.
- A sub-concussion refers to head injuries that do not result in the clinical symptoms of a concussion but can carry less, equal or greater force than a concussion.
ConneCTErs Australia's take home message is aligned with the experts saying, "if in doubt, sit it out." This is to give the brain time to recover even when there are no signs or symptoms.