Athletes are at increased risk of CTE London - Arabstoday US researchers have revealed that athletes and soldiers diagnosed with Alzheimer\'s or Parkinson\'s might have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, otherwise known as brain trauma. Regina Benjamin, the US surgeon general, told scientists at the first-ever CTE conference in Nevada: \"CTE can start months or years after brain trauma has occurred, either in contact sports, military service or perhaps even partner violence.\" Benjamin explained that CTE could strike the young and old alike and is different from traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer\'s, or Parkinson\'s. In cases of CTE, toxic proteins creep from the site of impact to other areas of the brain. Researchers refer to the spread as \"templating,\" not \"infectious,\" because the toxicity moves between cells.