FIGURE 1.

Blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and its associated pathologic events involved in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). mTBI can cause a series of pathologic changes including cerebrovascular impairment and BBB dysfunction, neuronal cell death, and axonal damage, as well as gliosis and neuroinflammation. Also, BBB dysfunction can accelerate the accumulation of pathologic products such as Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein; on the other hand, their deposition around the cerebral vessel has a chronic toxic effect which enhances the BBB disruption and ultimately may lead to neurodegenerative diseases. AD, Alzheimer’s disease; CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy; PD, Parkinson’s disease.