Figure 1. From concussion to CTE — sequence of events and knowledge gaps.
Data from clinical case series and animal models suggest that athletes who sustain concussions could develop a form of tauopathy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which leads to the deposition of fibrillary insoluble proteins and progressive deterioration of brain function. A definitive causal link between concussion and CTE has yet to be established, however.