In the past, you’ve probably heard about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in relation to football. This rare neurodegenerative disorder has been linked to repeated blows to the head. But did you know that CTE may also be linked to other sports, such as hockey? In fact, shares the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), new research suggests that for each additional year someone plays ice hockey (following the first), the risk of CTE could increase by 23%.

Some data from the study can be found within this AAN 74th Annual Meeting abstract; the full research will be presented from April 2-7 and 24-26, 2022. 

Altogether, this study followed 74 hockey players who had donated their brains for research following their deaths. Of these 74, 7 played youth hockey; 25 played high school hockey; 22 played in college; 19 played professional hockey; and one person played hockey, but no information is available on the specific level. Just under half of those involved also played football or another contact-based sport. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that 54% of evaluated brains showed signs of CTE. The researchers found that every additional year playing hockey corresponded to a 23% increased risk of CTE, as well as a 15% increased risk of progressing to a later stage of CTE (i.e. from Stage 2 to Stage 3). 

Although this data is concerning and does highlight an increased risk, more research is needed to analyze and affirm these findings. 

About Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

As described above, chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative condition associated with repeated head trauma. This trauma causes tau, a protein, to misfold and malfunction. As a result, other proteins begin to misfold. The dysfunctional tau begins to kill brain cells, causing CTE-related symptoms. Most often, CTE occurs in military veterans, athletes involved in sports like football or boxing, or those with repeated head trauma from other causes. Symptoms may not appear until years after the initial damage. Unfortunately, there are no tests to determine whether CTE is present when someone is alive; it can only be diagnosed after death. Symptoms associated with CTE include:

• Confusion and short-term memory loss
• Changes in behavior and personality, such as erratic behaviors, frequent mood swings, aggression and irritability, or depression
• Difficulty organizing thoughts or paying attention
• Balance and motor skill problems 
• Slurred speech
• Parkinsonism