Brain Donors

By 2009, only 49 cases of CTE had ever been studied pathologically and published in medical literature. The VA-BU-SLI Brain Bank and CTE Center is committed to growing our understanding of CTE through pathology and clinical research, much can be learned by combining pathology with a retrospective examination of the person’s life and clinical symptoms. At this time the VA-BU-SLI Brain Bank has over 200 brains of professional and amateur athletes, Veterans and other individuals who sustained cumulative repetitive traumatic brain injury(s) (TBI) before passing. The brain tissue of 59 of 62 deceased former NFL players have been positive for CTE.

To learn more about the disease please review the cases study below, which have been generously shared by the family members of our donors.