Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (Dementia Pugilistica) By Juebin Huang, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center Reviewed / Revised Feb 2023 View Patient Education Symptoms and Signs Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative brain disorder that may occur after repetitive head trauma or blast injuries.