Concussion & CTE Foundation

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Concussion & CTE Foundation The Concussion & CTE Foundation's mission is to support athletes, veterans & all affected by brain trauma.

10/08/2026

CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive brain disease caused by repetitive head impacts and associated with dementia. But which type of hits are the most dangerous?

In a new interview with on , our CEO, Dr. , breaks down what we know about CTE risk, how our understanding has changed, and why we don’t use the term subconcussive anymore.

🔑 The key takeaway: CTE risk isn’t determined by how many concussions you’ve had. Research shows risk is more closely tied to how many years you play contact sports and the total number of hits you sustain.

Woodrow Lowe, an All-American linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer, was diagnosed with CTE, his family announce...
10/08/2026

Woodrow Lowe, an All-American linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer, was diagnosed with CTE, his family announced recently.

Woodrow was a three-time, first-team All-American at Alabama in the 1970s. He played on four consecutive SEC championship teams from 1972-75 and later spent 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers.

Over the course of his football career, he experienced years of repetitive head impacts. His family later noticed cognitive changes and memory loss toward the end of his life.

After his death in 2025, they donated his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank, where Boston University CTE Center researchers diagnosed him with the most advanced form of CTE, stage 4.

CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive head impacts. Woodrow’s story is a powerful reminder of why recognizing, studying, and understanding the potential long-term effects of repetitive head impacts matters.

Supporting someone through a concussion can make a big difference in their recovery. 💙 Knowing what to expect, how to he...
10/05/2026

Supporting someone through a concussion can make a big difference in their recovery. 💙 Knowing what to expect, how to help, and when to seek additional support can help you be there for them every step of the way.

➡️ Swipe through for practical tips on supporting someone with a concussion.

If you or someone you know is living with concussion or suspected CTE symptoms, you’re not alone. Our HelpLine is a free resource designed to connect you with local care, education, and peer support. Reach out by submitting a form at ConcussionAndCTE.org/HelpLine. We’re here for you! 🫶

The Concussion & CTE Foundation invites you to join distinguished clinicians, researchers, athletes and impacted familie...
10/05/2026

The Concussion & CTE Foundation invites you to join distinguished clinicians, researchers, athletes and impacted families for the second annual Global CTE Summit, a one-day conference focused on advancing the understanding of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and improving care and support for those affected.

The Summit is set for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027, at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It will examine CTE across the lifespan, with sessions focused on the unique challenges and clinical considerations facing active athletes, individuals in midlife, and older adults.

Physicians and psychologists who attend in person or virtually can earn up to 6.0 continuing education credits.

The Summit steering committee includes leading CTE researchers and clinicians Michael Alosco, PhD; Ann McKee, MD; Robert Cantu, MD; Kevin Bickart, MD, PhD; William P. Flavin, MD, PhD; and Gil Rabinovici, MD.

The program is presented in collaboration with the Boston University CTE Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences Memory and Aging Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA BrainSPORT Program, and Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Care at UCLA.

Join us in connecting the latest scientific discoveries with practical approaches to diagnosis, care, and support for individuals and families affected by CTE.

Registration is now open for both in-person and virtual attendees.
➡️ https://concussionandcte.org/global-cte-summit-2027

Prize ribbons for the things nobody sees. 🏆💙The headaches, the brain fog, the exhaustion, the setbacks… The patience it ...
10/03/2026

Prize ribbons for the things nobody sees. 🏆💙

The headaches, the brain fog, the exhaustion, the setbacks… The patience it takes to recover one day at a time.

Here’s to recognizing the invisible parts of recovery, too. 🧠

10/01/2026

For Will Renken, learning how to navigate POTS has meant learning that setbacks don’t erase progress. The routines, lifestyle changes, and self-care that helped before still matter, even when recovery happens in cycles.

Will was diagnosed with POTS, an autonomic nervous system disorder, before his concussions, but nearly 10% of develop it after a concussion. Many of the symptoms can overlap.

Will is our Community Engagement & Research Coordinator and a former water polo player at Brown University. After four concussions ended his athletic career in 2018, he began navigating the lasting effects of concussion alongside POTS, ultimately leading him toward neuroscience and advocacy in the concussion and CTE community.
In this clip from Invisible Impact, Will talks about the importance of giving yourself grace when symptoms flare, continuing to care for yourself, and slowly building back what you’ve gained.

Sometimes recovery means starting again. It doesn’t mean starting from zero.

Hear the full conversation with Will Renken and julia manning. in Episode 15 of Invisible Impact: A Post-Concussion Podcast.

📺 Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Our research partners at the Australian Sports Brain Bank have diagnosed CTE in 31 of 51 former rugby league players who...
09/30/2026

Our research partners at the Australian Sports Brain Bank have diagnosed CTE in 31 of 51 former rugby league players whose brains were examined.

That’s 61% of this highly selected brain-bank sample, not 61% of all rugby league players. But the findings are significant: CTE was found across amateur and professional levels, including players who died in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

CTE is caused by repetitive head impacts. The good news is those impacts are something we can work to reduce.

The message isn’t that rugby league should disappear. It’s that repetitive head impacts carry risk, and we should keep asking how much unnecessary exposure we can eliminate, especially for children who cannot fully understand the risks they are taking on.

We’re proud of the research team at the ASBB, which we co-founded in 2018, for building a program that is rapidly changing what we know about CTE in Australian sport, and deeply grateful to the families who donated their loved ones’ brains to make this research possible.

Don’t overlook the signs and symptoms of a concussion!During  , take a moment to learn what to watch for and when it’s t...
09/29/2026

Don’t overlook the signs and symptoms of a concussion!

During , take a moment to learn what to watch for and when it’s time to seek medical care.

The more you know about concussions, the better prepared you are to support yourself, your loved ones, friends, and teammates. 🧠💙

09/27/2026

Recovering from a concussion or living with persistent symptoms? Returning to work or school can feel daunting, and it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed by the thought of getting back to your usual routine.

UCLA concussion expert Dr. Kevin Bickart recommends a gradual return to cognitive demand, much like recovering from an ankle or knee injury.

Think of it this way: you gradually put more weight on an injured ankle or knee as tolerated, but not so much that you’re too sore to do your rehab or physical therapy the next day. The same principle can apply to your brain: gradually increase cognitive activity while staying within what you can tolerate, so you can continue progressing your recovery. But remember, recovery with the brain is not linear, and that’s normal too 😊

Dr. Bickart joins us this for a special interview where we dive into concussion, PCS/PPCS, what recovery really looks like, the latest research, and so much more.

Tune in to Episode 14 of Invisible Impact: A Post-Concussion Podcast for the full conversation!

📺 Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

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