SCARY

First Female Professional Athlete Is Diagnosed With CTE

Anderson died last year at the age of 28, and was diagnosed with CTE posthumously.

Heather Anderson, a professional Australian Rules football player, has become the first female professional athlete to be diagnosed with CTE, according to a statement from the Concussion Legacy Foundation. Anderson died last year at the age of 28, and was posthumously diagnosed with CTE, otherwise known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Researchers at the Australian Sports Brain Bank determined that she had developed the brain disease after repetitive head trauma from competition, and discovered multiple lesions across her cortex that indicated the presence of CTE. Robert Cantu, co-founder and medical director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, believes her diagnosis to be a wake-up call. “We urgently need to accelerate research on CTE in women so we can prevent future cases, better understand how CTE impacts their behavior and cognition, and treat those who develop symptoms,” Cantu said in a statement.