CTE Matters to Me
Our mission is to:
- raise awareness of CTE - chronic traumatic encephalopathy - in New Zealand
- raise awareness of the symptoms and markers of CTE
- raise awareness of the devastating and tragic impacts of misdiagnosis
- reduce misdiagnosis of CTE through education of trainee doctors, nurses, the medical establishment, sporting organisations and the police
- provide sensible methods of helping people who have probable CTE
- provide mutual support, understanding and networking among people and families of those who have probable CTE
- develop a standard of care for people who have probable CTE
What is CTE?
- Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease
- Caused by repetitive head impacts over time (not single incidents)
- Cannot be definitively diagnosed while living, but symptoms can be recognized
- Symptoms typically appear 8-10 years after head impact exposure
CTE Risk Factors:
- Contact sports (rugby, boxing, football, hockey)
- Military service with blast exposure
- History of domestic violence
- Multiple concussions or subconcussive impacts
- Any pattern of repetitive head trauma
We Remember
The late Shane Christie, New Zealand Rugby Player and truthseeker, with suspected CTE
The late Billy Guyton, New Zealand Rugby player with confirmed CTE
Introduction
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
Why I stopped watching football - by Ange Murtha
A New Avenue for Lithium: Intervention in Traumatic Brain Injury
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4063503/
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Update on Current Clinical Diagnosis and Management
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/4/415
Recent Preclinical Insights Into the Treatment of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00616/full
A Cure for CTE?
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/857105_3?form=fpf
Lithium treatment for chronic traumatic encephalopathy: A proposal
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331050157_Lithium_treatment_for_chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy_A_proposal
Recent Preclinical Insights Into the Treatment of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7381336/
Lithium: A Novel Therapeutic Drug for Traumatic Brain Injury
https://www.omicsonlineorg/open-access-pdfs/lithium-a-novel-therapeutic-drug-for-traumatic-brain-injury-2161-0460-1000327.pdf
A New Avenue for Lithium: Intervention in Traumatic Brain Injury
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261368984_A_New_Avenue_for_Lithium_Intervention_in_Traumatic_Brain_Injury
VA research on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
https://www.research.va.gov/topics/tbi.cfm
Psychopharmacological management of a patient with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome and Parkinsonism following attempted suicide
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773021223000408
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
https://www.psychdb.com/cl/tbi
Best Nootropics for Traumatic Brain Injury
https://nootropicsexpert.com/best-nootropics-for-traumatic-brain-injury/
A blog about lithium
https://www.alternativetomeds.com/blog/lithium-alternatives/#:~:text=Lithium%20Orotate%20as%20a%20Drug%2Dfree%20Lithium%20Carbonate%20Alternative&text=The%20orotate%20form%20contains%20much,harsh%20reactions%20as%20lithium%20carbonate.
Personal Stories from The Concussion Foundationhttps://concussionfoundation.org/personal-stories/legacy-stories/zach-holm?mibextid=WaXdOe
Misdiagnosis
Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has had repeated head knocks through sport and knows their difficulties are due to those injuries. They seek help, but doctors dismiss their head trauma history and instead diagnose them with "mental health" conditions like bipolar disorder.This happens far too often. People with probable CTE face a medical system that doesn't understand brain injury symptoms and defaults to psychiatric diagnoses instead.
"The worst thing about probable CTE to me is not the disease, it's not being believed." - Ange Murtha
If this sounds like your experience, you're not alone. There are medical differences between CTE and psychiatric conditions, and you deserve proper evaluation.
CTE or Mental Health Condition?
What Doctors Should Ask (But Often Don't):
- Have you had repeated head impacts from sports, work, or accidents?
- When did your symptoms first appear in relation to any head trauma?
- Do you have physical symptoms (headaches, balance issues) alongside mood changes?
Red Flags That Suggest Brain Injury:
- History of contact sports or head trauma
- Symptoms that started or worsened after head impacts
- Progressive worsening over time
- Physical symptoms combined with mood/behavior changes
- Poor response to psychiatric treatment (if tried)
Your Rights as a Patient:-
- Full consideration of your head trauma history
- Neurological evaluation if appropriate
- Second opinion from brain injury specialists
Welcome to this website, CTE Matters to Me, which is currently being developed.
Please visit again soon as we upload more content.
About Us
We are two friends, Ange Murtha and Elisabeth Cave.
We believe that Ange has 'suspected CTE' from her lifetime of sport, including rugby. Ange's rugby shoes and mouthguard are shown in the logo.
Contact
Elisabeth 027 451 4081
Copyright CTE Matters to Me 2025