BU CTE Program Statement Regarding the Film “Concussion”

Boston University (BU) is proud to be a leader in the study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The BU CTE Program, founded in 2008, is the first academic research program focused on the study of CTE. Originally referred to as “Punch Drunk” by Harrison Martland in 1928, and named “chronic traumatic encephalopathy” in the 1940s, CTE is a progressive brain disease associated with repeated brain trauma.

BU and Veteran’s Administration (VA) researchers have identified CTE in more than 150 former athletes and military veterans, tripling the known cases worldwide. They reported the first case series of CTE in veterans, in addition to soccer, ice hockey, baseball, rugby and collegiate and high school football players, helping to establish that CTE is not just limited to boxers and professional football players. Led by BU and VA researcher, Dr. Ann McKee, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) held its first Consensus Conference to Define the Neuropathological Criteria for CTE earlier in 2015, resulting in diagnostic criteria for the post-mortem diagnosis of CTE. BU investigators also have received funding for their research to develop methods of diagnosing CTE during life

While we were not involved with the film “Concussion,” we hope it raises awareness of the importance of CTE research, including the need for people to participate in studies while they are alive to help discover methods of diagnosing CTE during life, as well as the critical gift of brain donation. Thanks to generous funding from the NIH, the VA and the Concussion Legacy Foundation, the BU CTE Program accepts brain donations from contact sport athletes and military veterans. Brain donation is paramount to learning how to diagnose CTE among the living, and for developing effective treatments, prevention strategies and a cure. To learn more about brain donation and research participation, visit the CTE Program Website