Chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathology

Findings include: 1. cerebral and cerebellar atrophy

2. neurofibrillary degeneration of cortical and subcortical areas

3. deposition of β-amyloid protein

a) forming diffuse amyloid plaques

b) in a subset of chronic traumatic encephalopathy patients this involves the vessel walls giving rise to cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Although it shares certain histopathological findings with Alzheimer disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy has a more specific presentation (hyperphosphorylated tau protein deposited as neurofibrillary tangles, associated with neuropil threads and sometimes with beta-amyloid plaques).

The neuropathological findings in a animal model of repetitive mTBI resemble some of the histopathological hallmarks of CTE, including increased astrogliosis, microglial activation, and hyperphosphorylated tau protein accumulation ¹⁾.