PENNSYLVANIA, January 25 - WHEREAS, CTE is caused by a buildup of an abnormal protein,

known as tau, in the brain leading to brain cell death; and

WHEREAS, The risk of developing CTE is greatest in athletes

and military veterans, who frequently endure repeated

subconcussive blows to the head from playing contact sports or

suffer traumatic injury from military training or blasting; and

WHEREAS, CTE also appears in survivors of domestic abuse and

individuals with epilepsy; and

WHEREAS, Though the symptoms associated with CTE, including

memory loss, tremors, addictions, progressive dementia,

depression, suicidal thoughts, impaired judgment and paranoia,

often occur years after the brain trauma or hits cease, CTE

symptoms have been found in patients as young as 17 years of

age; and

WHEREAS, Currently, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed

after death through postmortem neuropathological analysis; and

WHEREAS, Advocacy organizations, health care providers and

institutional researchers are dedicated to studying the causes

and symptoms of CTE for the purpose of enabling parents to make

informed decisions regarding the best interests of their

children in youth sports and developing an earlier diagnostic

tool to identify CTE symptoms in patients as soon as possible;

and

WHEREAS, Each year, "CTE Awareness Day" is recognized by the

Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation and other organizations

across the United States to bring awareness regarding the

individuals who died from the symptoms associated with CTE, how

to assist individuals suffering with CTE and, most importantly,

how to prevent CTE; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize January 30, 2022, as "CTE

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