What To Know About Cte, The Degenerative Brain Disease Named In Nyc Shooting Suspect's Note

The gunman who opened occurrence successful midtown Manhattan connected Monday, sidesplitting 4 group earlier turning nan weapon connected himself, near a statement mentioning “CTE” respective times, officials acquainted pinch nan investigation told NBC News.

CTE, aliases chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is simply a encephalon information caused by repeated injuries to nan head, typically complete galore years.

The shooter was targeting nan office of nan National Football League, which is successful nan Park Avenue building wherever nan shooting took place, authorities said.

While CTE can’t beryllium formally diagnosed without an autopsy, one 3rd of erstwhile NFL players fishy they person nan disease, according to a 2024 report. The NFL first acknowledged nan nexus betwixt CTE and football successful 2016.

Former NFL subordinate Phillip Adams was recovered to person terrible CTE aft he gunned down six group earlier taking his ain life successful South Carolina successful 2021.

NBC News said pinch Dr. Aaron Lord, main of neurology astatine NYU Langone who specializes successful encephalon injuries, astir really CTE changes nan encephalon and a person’s behavior.

What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy?

First characterized successful boxers, nan information utilized to beryllium called “punch drunk syndrome” and tin origin neurological conditions including early dementia, representation impairment, characteristic changes, and activity disorders akin to Parkinson’s disease, Lord said.

CTE tin impact anyone who sustains repeated caput injuries.

“It’s conscionable astir repetitive daze waves to nan brain,” he said.

The condition’s nexus to termination and suicidal ideation is an area of progressive study, successful portion because location seems to beryllium a higher complaint of CTE than expected among high-caliber athletes who person committed suicide, Lord said.

Still, experts haven’t drawn immoderate conclusions astir “the incidence and prevalence of this illness successful nan population, aliases successful circumstantial athletes,” he said.

“It’s a caller 1 we’re still defining,” he said.

How is CTE diagnosed?

Without an autopsy, doctors can’t diagnose CTE, and moreover past it tin beryllium difficult to pinpoint because there's nary circumstantial criteria to diagnose it, Lord said. An autopsy must uncover grounds of insubstantial degeneration and abnormal clumps of definite proteins astir humor vessels successful nan brain.

Some patients and their doctors whitethorn estimate that they person nan illness because of noticeable changes successful their moods and behavior. Patients besides cognize if they’ve suffered blows to nan head, really galore and really severe.

Lord said that a encephalon MRI connected concerned patients mightiness uncover immoderate changes accordant pinch nan disease, but it’s not capable for a diagnosis.

There is immoderate overlap successful symptoms pinch psychiatric disorders including awesome depressive disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Lord said.

Lord has besides seen a nexus betwixt patients pinch CTE and homicidal ideation and impulsivity arsenic good arsenic different characteristic changes.

Lord tends to spot nan illness successful older individuals, perchance because of earlier repeated impacts, but moreover 1 deed to nan caput tin origin damage, moreover if that trauma doesn’t consequence successful CTE.

“Even personification who’s conscionable been successful a azygous car mishap and has injured nan frontal lobes of their encephalon tin person imperishable characteristic changes and impulse power and psychiatric changes,” he said.

Is location curen for CTE?

Although location is nary nonstop curen for nan disease, psychiatric medicine tin thief pinch behavioral power and different symptoms, Lord said.

Not everyone who gets a concussion develops CTE, according to nan Mayo clinic. Prevention is nan champion medicine: Avoiding caput wounded by utilizing seatbelts aliases helmets tin little nan consequence of getting a CTE and different brain-injuries, Lord said.