Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussive and nonconcussive head impacts. CTE can only be definitively diagnosed post-mortem and has been primarily identified in contact sport athletes and military veterans. Reported symptoms of CTE include cognitive impairment and neurobehavioral dysregulation, but an evidence-based clinical criteria for diagnosis during life has yet to be developed.
The theme of the 2026 summit is Caring for Retired American Football Players and will focus on real-world care strategies, emerging diagnostics, and the lived experience of players and their families. Participants will learn about all aspects of CTE including its pathology, genetics, biomarkers, imaging, clinical syndromes, clinical criteria, differential diagnosis, impact on families, and what it is like to live with suspected CTE. The summit is organized by the Concussion Legacy Foundation with the content developed in collaboration with the Boston University CTE Center and UCSF Memory and Aging Center.
Hosted on the UCSF Mission Bay campus, and is designed for clinicians, researchers, and advocates working to improve outcomes for those impacted by brain trauma, as well as suspected CTE patients and their families.