Lithium treatment for chronic traumatic encephalopathy: A proposal

Abstract

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a diagnosis recently discovered and described in the context of American football. It is a a neurodegenerative disease that is a consequence of repetitive brain injury such as concussion. Such injury most notably occurs in physically violent sports but can also occur in other settings, such as during military duty, where explosive blasts can cause subconcussive impacts to the head. The main clinical features of CTE involve three aspects: mood/impulsivity, suicide, and dementia.\xa0To date, there are no proven treatments for CTE. In this article, we would like to propose an hypothesis that lithium, at standard or even low doses, can improve or prevent CTE in all three aspects, including preventing suicide and dementia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.