18 year old high school football player

John Doe
Former multi-sport athlete
Died at age 18

John Doe (the family has asked to keep his identity private) was a multi-sport athlete who suffered multiple concussions in high school football. Analysis of Mr. Doe’s brain revealed the earliest evidence of CTE ever recorded.

Figure 5: 18 year old brain tissue

Top left: Whole mount section of frontal cortex showing very focal deposition of tau protein around small blood vessels (red box)
Bottom left: High magnification shows dense tau immunoreactive NFTs around small blood vessels (holes) and extensive tau immunoreactive neurites in the neuropil immediately surrounding the area
Top right: Another whole mount section of frontal and insular cortex showing very focal deposition of tau protein around a small blood vessel in insulara cortex (red box)
Bottom right: High magnification shows dense tau immunoreactive NFTs around a small blood vessel (hole) and tau immunoreactive neurites in the neuropil immediately surrounding the area

Read more about youth football head trauma
Boston.com | Warning sign on youth football head trauma
Press Release |Boston University School of Medicine Announces New Findings Linking Football and Progressive Brain Damage