Abstract
Over the past 40 years, advocacy groups have been instrumental in raising awareness
for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. More recently, advocates
have emerged to educate about sports concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
(CTE), including the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF). CTE is a neurodegenerative
disease caused in part by repetitive head impacts (RHI). While the majority of CTE
research has focused on studying former American football players, CTE has also been
found in military personnel, victims of domestic violence, and contact sport athletes
from high school to professional levels of play. Advocates' many goals include creating
a culture of brain donation and modifying youth contact sports to decrease RHI. Here,
we provide the first review of CTE advocacy, summarize the accomplishments of the
CLF, and consider the connections between CTE advocacy, research, and legislation
over the last decade.
Keywords
advocacy - chronic traumatic encephalopathy - concussion - football
