Severe CTE and TDP-43 pathology in a former professional soccer player with dementia : a clinicopathological case report and review of the literature
(2023) In Acta Neuropathologica Communications 11(1).- Abstract
In the last decades, numerous post-mortem case series have documented chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former contact-sport athletes, though reports of CTE pathology in former soccer players are scarce. This study presents a clinicopathological case of a former professional soccer player with young-onset dementia. The patient experienced early onset progressive cognitive decline and developed dementia in his mid-50 s, after playing soccer for 12 years at a professional level. While the clinical picture mimicked Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid PET imaging did not provide evidence of elevated beta-amyloid plaque density. After he died in his mid-60 s, brain autopsy showed severe phosphorylated tau (p-tau) abnormalities fulfilling... (More)
In the last decades, numerous post-mortem case series have documented chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former contact-sport athletes, though reports of CTE pathology in former soccer players are scarce. This study presents a clinicopathological case of a former professional soccer player with young-onset dementia. The patient experienced early onset progressive cognitive decline and developed dementia in his mid-50 s, after playing soccer for 12 years at a professional level. While the clinical picture mimicked Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid PET imaging did not provide evidence of elevated beta-amyloid plaque density. After he died in his mid-60 s, brain autopsy showed severe phosphorylated tau (p-tau) abnormalities fulfilling the neuropathological criteria for high-stage CTE, as well as astrocytic and oligodendroglial tau pathology in terms of tufted astrocytes, thorn-shaped astrocytes, and coiled bodies. Additionally, there were TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) positive cytoplasmic inclusions in the frontal lobe and hippocampus, and Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) positivity in the axons of the white matter. A systematic review of the literature revealed only 13 other soccer players with postmortem diagnosis of CTE. Our report illustrates the complex clinicopathological correlation of CTE and the need for disease-specific biomarkers.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Association football, Biomarkers, Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Neurodegeneration, Repetitive head impacts, Soccer, Tauopathy, Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome
- in
- Acta Neuropathologica Communications
- volume
- 11
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 77
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:37161501
- scopus:85158953025
- ISSN
- 2051-5960
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40478-023-01572-3
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ccfa5cbf-85e9-4be2-b30f-b2f04608d8e1
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-10 08:59:22
- date last changed
- 2024-04-20 01:14:18
@article{ccfa5cbf-85e9-4be2-b30f-b2f04608d8e1,
abstract = {{<p>In the last decades, numerous post-mortem case series have documented chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former contact-sport athletes, though reports of CTE pathology in former soccer players are scarce. This study presents a clinicopathological case of a former professional soccer player with young-onset dementia. The patient experienced early onset progressive cognitive decline and developed dementia in his mid-50 s, after playing soccer for 12 years at a professional level. While the clinical picture mimicked Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid PET imaging did not provide evidence of elevated beta-amyloid plaque density. After he died in his mid-60 s, brain autopsy showed severe phosphorylated tau (p-tau) abnormalities fulfilling the neuropathological criteria for high-stage CTE, as well as astrocytic and oligodendroglial tau pathology in terms of tufted astrocytes, thorn-shaped astrocytes, and coiled bodies. Additionally, there were TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) positive cytoplasmic inclusions in the frontal lobe and hippocampus, and Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) positivity in the axons of the white matter. A systematic review of the literature revealed only 13 other soccer players with postmortem diagnosis of CTE. Our report illustrates the complex clinicopathological correlation of CTE and the need for disease-specific biomarkers.</p>}},
author = {{van Amerongen, Suzan and Kamps, Suzie and Kaijser, Kyra K.M. and Pijnenburg, Yolande A.L. and Scheltens, Philip and Teunissen, Charlotte E. and Barkhof, Frederik and Ossenkoppele, Rik and Rozemuller, Annemieke J.M. and Stern, Robert A. and Hoozemans, Jeroen J.M. and Vijverberg, Everard G.B.}},
issn = {{2051-5960}},
keywords = {{Association football; Biomarkers; Chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Neurodegeneration; Repetitive head impacts; Soccer; Tauopathy; Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{Acta Neuropathologica Communications}},
title = {{Severe CTE and TDP-43 pathology in a former professional soccer player with dementia : a clinicopathological case report and review of the literature}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40478-023-01572-3}},
doi = {{10.1186/s40478-023-01572-3}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2023}},
}