Veterans - Australian Brain Bank at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA)

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a relatively rare brain condition associated with repeated blows to the head. It was first reported in professional boxers almost one hundred years ago, and has more recently been identified in athletes from a variety of contact sports including American Football, rugby league and Australian Rules football. It has also been identified in some American military personnel, many of whom were exposed to blast-type injuries. The incidence of CTE in Australian ex-military personnel is unknown.

CTE is a lesser known form of dementia and can occur at any age, and in most cases the first symptoms occur years or decades after brain injury. Signs of CTE include problems with thinking and memory, personality changes, and behavioural changes including aggression and depression.

The Australian Veterans Brain Bank is a tissue bank that is dedicated to research on disorders of the brain in Australian Defence Force Veterans. We hope that people both with and without a known or suspected brain disorder will pledge their brain to support research on neurologic conditions affecting Australian Veterans.