{"id":679668,"date":"2025-07-12T12:40:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T09:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/cte-and-normal-aging-are-difficult-to-distinguish-new-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T12:40:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T09:40:25","slug":"cte-and-normal-aging-are-difficult-to-distinguish-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/cte-and-normal-aging-are-difficult-to-distinguish-new-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25da1f27cfa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25da1f27cfa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/cte-and-normal-aging-are-difficult-to-distinguish-new-study-finds\/#How_the_study_worked\" >How the study worked<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2021\/brain-9.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2021\/brain-9.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2021\/brain-9.jpg\" alt=\"brain\" title=\"Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"421\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In recent years, some scientists and advocates have warned that playing contact sports like football and hockey may increase the risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer&#8217;s disease or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to a buildup of a specific protein in the brain.<\/p>\n<p>But a new Northwestern Medicine study of 174 donated brains, including some from former high school and college football players, pumps the brakes on that theory.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The long and short of it is no, this protein in this specific brain region is not increased in people who played football at the amateur level. It throws a little bit of cold water on the current CTE narrative,&#8221; said corresponding author Dr. Rudolph Castellani, professor of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine neuropathologist.<\/p>\n<p>The study was <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/13872877251351524\" target=\"_blank\">recently published in the <i>Journal of Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease<\/i><\/a>. It raises important questions about how scientists interpret subtle brain changes associated with aging, Alzheimer&#8217;s disease and repetitive head impacts.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_study_worked\"><\/span>How the study worked<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The study analyzed brain tissue from the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, which collects brain donations from people who had psychiatric conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, major depression, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> anxiety, substance use disorder, etc.) throughout their life. Of the 174 samples collected from older adult men (with a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>n age of 65 at death), 48 men participated in football in high school or college while 126 had no history of playing a contact or collision sport.<\/p>\n<p>The study did not include brains from professional athletes.<\/p>\n<p>The scientists focused on a small memory-related brain region called CA2, part of the hippocampus. This region has been shown to accumulate phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein\u2014which is often present in neurodegenerative disease\u2014in a variety of contexts, including normal aging, Alzheimer&#8217;s disease and in individuals with a history of repetitive head impacts.<\/p>\n<p>But the findings suggest p-tau buildup in CA2 isn&#8217;t specific to contact sports. The scientists found no over-representation of CA2 p-tau in individuals with a history of youth football participation. Instead, the presence of p-tau in this region was statistically associated with age.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s novel here is a return to the null hypothesis\u2014that there may be no link between repeated head injuries and p-tau buildup in this location,&#8221; said Castellani, who also is the neuropathology core director of the Northwestern University Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease Research Center. &#8220;Rather than assuming p-tau in CA2 is inherently pathological, we&#8217;re asking whether it might be part of normal aging or a non-specific response to environmental factors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The study also highlights broader challenges in the field of neurodegeneration research. In particular, the authors point to the difficulty of assigning clinical meaning to subtle pathological findings. The paper&#8217;s section, &#8220;Knowledge gaps and implications for future research,&#8221; underscores how even expert consensus groups struggle to define CTE in clinically meaningful terms.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Modern studies on CTE may be expanding the boundaries of what&#8217;s considered normal variability in the human brain,&#8221; Castellani said. &#8220;This work reminds us to be cautious in interpreting pathology without clear clinical correlation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The authors call for larger studies to better understand how p-tau relates to aging and head injuries, while urging the scientific community to critically evaluate assumptions about what constitutes neurodegenerative disease.<\/p>\n<p>The study is titled &#8220;Postmortem tau in the CA2 region of the hippocampus in older adult men who participated in youth amateur American-style football.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                    Grant L Iverson et al, Postmortem tau in the CA2 region of the hippocampus in older adult men who participated in youth amateur American-style football, <i>Journal of Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1177\/13872877251351524\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1177\/13872877251351524<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNorthwestern University<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.northwestern.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds (2025, July 11)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 12 July 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-07-cte-aging-difficult-distinguish.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-07-cte-aging-difficult-distinguish.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain In recent years, some scientists and advocates have warned that playing contact sports like football and hockey may increase the risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer&#8217;s disease or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to a buildup of a specific protein in the brain. But a new Northwestern Medicine study of 174&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":679669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2021\/brain-9.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-679668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=679668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679668\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/679669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=679668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=679668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=679668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}