Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Neuropathology, Knowledge Gaps, and Clinical Translation

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been defined as a degenerative brain disease associated with multiple head injuries that leads to disabling changes in behavior, mood, and cognition. This definition is based on findings of tauopathy-like neuropathological changes in the brains of professional athletes who formerly played contact sports, many of whom reportedly showed severe neuropsychiatric changes later in life. These reports have raised serious questions in the minds of the public and scientific community alike about the long-term effects of contact sport play, military service, and other activities where repeated head injuries tend to occur and have alarmed some to the point of fearing disastrous neurological effects from a single concussion. However, some argue that many of the prevailing concepts about CTE are very far from settled science, citing methodological limitations of published studies, unexplored alternative explanations for the observed neuropathological and neuropsychiatric changes, and well-established scientific data unsupportive of the concept of CTE as a disease. This conference will bring together experts in the fields of neuropathology and clinical neuropsychology to discuss the neuropathological changes associated with CTE and review evidence both for and against the concept of CTE as a neurodegenerative disease causally linked to a history of head injuries. Suggestions for translating available scientific data about CTE and related issues, such as concussion management and return to play decisions, into the practice of clinical neuropsychology will also be discussed.

Pricing

$20 for student members of The New York Neuropsychology Group ($35 for student non-members)

$40 for professional members of The New York Neuropsychology Group ($60 for professional non-members)

New York Academy of Sciences Members will receive NYNG member rates ($20 for students and $40 for professionals) by emailing Stacey Snyder at: staceysnyd@gmail.com

Attendees can earn 3 CE credits for an additional $45

Register for this event at nyng.org