Table 1.

Summary of published experience on the neuropathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Cases and neuropathological findings	Boxing	American football*	Wrestling‡	Ice hockey	Military (with history of contact sports§)	Military (with history of other TBI||)	Other
History of repetitive TBI: studies and cases
Number of studies (studies with controls)	29 (12)17,21,22,25,27,32, 52–63,69–71,82,85,89,106–108,128	8 (1)19–22,24–27	4 (2)23,26,27	2 (1)22,27	3 (2)26–28	2 (1)27,28	5 (1)27,29–31,70
Number of cases	72	58	3	5	20	3	5 (1 domestic abuse, 3 self-injury, 1 ‘dwarf throwing’)
Incidence of macroscopic changes
Atrophy (global or regional)	39/47	27/50	0/3	3/5	15/18	2/3	3/4
Ventricular dilation	32/33	35/44	0/1	3/5	15/18	2/3	2/2
Cavum septum pellucidum	43/50	17/38	0/3	0/3	5/13	1/3	3/4
Incidence of microscopic changes
Cerebellar pathology	25/36	20/43	1/3	2/5	10/18	1/3	1/1
White matter change	20/22	9/10	1/2	NR	1/1	NR	1/1
Neuronal loss	25/28	3/3	2/2	NR	1/1	NR	1/1
Substantia nigra pathology	28/36	47/51	2/3	5/5	17/18	2/3	2/2
Locus coeruleus pathology	24/28	43/46	2/3	5/5	16/18	2/3	1/1
Tau	61/68	58/58	3/3	5/5	20/20	3/3	5/5
Amyloid-β plaque	39/52	22/58	0/3	2/5	13/20	2/3	1/5
Lewy bodies	1/31	12/58	0/3	2/5	6/20	0/3	0/1
TAR DNA-binding protein 43	13/13	43/50	0/1	5/5	18/20	2/3	0/1

Number of cases with each pathology is included, based on a clear description of positive or negative findings. There was no presumed absence of findings in reports that only described positive features.

^*One case overlaps with boxers due to history of both American football and amateur boxing.

^‡One case overlaps with wrestling due to history of American football and wrestling.

^§All cases overlap with cases included in relevant contact sports columns. One case also had a history of motor vehicle accident.

^||Other TBI refers to single severe TBI or history of motor vehicle accident.

Abbreviations: NR, not reported; TBI, traumatic brain injury.