Degenerative brain disease CTE found for 1st time in female professional athlete

Australian researchers have discovered the first case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a female professional athlete.

The brain of former Australian rules football player Heather Anderson was donated to science after the 28-year-old died by suicide in 2022. She was found to meet the criteria for "low-stage CTE."

"As the representation of women in professional contact sports is growing, it seems likely that more CTE cases will be identified in female athletes," wrote the authors of the paper, which was published June 30 in the journal Acta Neuropathologica.

"Given females' greater susceptibility to concussion, there is an urgent need to recognize the risks, and to institute strategies and policies to minimize traumatic brain injuries in increasingly popular female contact sports."

CTE is a progressive brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and repeated blows to the head. The disease can cause memory loss, violent mood swings, depression and other cognitive difficulties.

A football player since age 5

CTE has become a topic of concern for many sports organizations, including the National Hockey League. The Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada says 16 of 17 NHL players studied have been diagnosed with CTE.

The report's six authors say contact sports where head injuries occur commonly are historically male-dominated, which is likely why CTE is found in males for more often. There had only been a "handful" of CTE cases reported in females, and none in professional athletes until now, said the report.

Anderson, who played Australian rules football from age five, including seven games in the women's version of the Australian Football League in 2017, was also an Australian Army soldier. The report notes that some cases of CTE have been diagnosed among military members with repetitive head trauma, but that there were no concussions reported during Anderson's nine years of service.

Anderson had no known history of alcohol or non-prescription drug abuse, and she had not exhibited any signs of depression or unusual behaviour in the months leading up to her death, the authors say.

"She had suffered one diagnosed concussion, with four other possible concussions not formally diagnosed but suspected by family," the authors wrote.

The family donated her brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank.

The report says there isn't enough data to connect the CTE and suicide, but noted "suicide deaths are not uncommon in the cohorts where CTE is sought at autopsy."

"It was a surprise, but not a surprise," Heather's father, Brian Anderson, told Australian current affairs program 7.30.

"I didn't really go out of my way to discuss it with people. And I think now that this report has been published, I'm sort of trying to think about how it might play out for female sportspeople everywhere."