Question

What feedback loops are involved in CTE (stimuli, afferent signals, control centers, different signals, effectors and physiological responses)? Name the specific nerves affected as well as areas of the brain or spinal cord that act as the control center.

Answer 1

CTE is chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. It is a taupathy characterized by the deposition of hyperphosphorylated tau protein as neurofibrillatory tangles, astrocytic tangles and neurites in striking clusters around small blood vessels of the cortex typically at the sulcal depths.CTE consist of 4 stages.

CTE has been associated with repetitive head impacts i.e, repetitive concussions and subconcussive head injuries in contact occuring in sportsmen- boxers, wrestlers, contact sports- football and also in military activities.

Repeated impacts to head causes the brain inside the skull, shaken back and forth, causing accelerations and decelerations, also causes rotations, hence brain actually elongates and stretches an this stretching puts a lot of force on individuals nerve cell, specially axons and neuronswhich is accompanied by buildup of tau protein in the brain. Tau is a normal protein in the brain which is inside the brain. It contributes to the cytoskeleton of the nervecell to holdup cell shape. Under abnormal circumstances like injury or trauma, the tau comes out of the microtubules, thereby clumbing up together. This eventually kills the cell.

Thinning finds to be more than the ventral aspect which is a unique sign of CTE. Also, spaces near hippocampus which is important for memory, thinking, learning etc. shows shrinkage. CTE lesions are more visible on the top which is the lteral side of frontal lobe. Symptoms include headache, impulsive behaviour, behavioural personality changes, memory loss, depression etc.

SPECTRUM OF PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND OUTCOMES OF MILD AND SEVERE TBI (TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY)