NASCAR legend Fred Lorenzen officially becomes the first driver diagnosed with CTE, a disease with no cure or way to confirm it before death

NASCAR legend Fred Lorenzen had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Concussion & CTE Foundation has announced. This means he is the first driver to be diagnosed with CTE, a brain disease associated with repeated head impacts. Lorenzen died in December 2024 at the age of 89. Notably, the disease currently can be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after death.

Fred Lorenzen made NASCAR history by becoming the first driver to earn $100,000 in a single season and win at every superspeedway on the circuit in one season, including the 1965 Daytona 500. He was voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver in 1963 and 1965 and was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time. Lorenzen was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Meanwhile, Lorenzen's family has announced a $1 million donation to support CTE research and established the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine to provide assistance to racing drivers and their families.

What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE, is a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head impacts. These impacts may involve concussions or less severe blows to the head that occur repeatedly over time.

The condition is characterised by an abnormal accumulation of a protein called tau in the brain. The protein can form clumps that interfere with normal brain function and are associated with damage to brain cells.

According to Mayo Clinic, CTE is thought to cause areas of the brain to waste away, known as atrophy. This happens because injuries to nerve cells that conduct electrical impulses affect communication between cells.

CTE has been studied in former athletes who participated in sports involving repeated head impacts, including American football, boxing and other contact sports. The condition has also raised concerns in motorsports, where drivers can experience substantial forces during crashes and repeated impacts over the course of their careers.

However, as per Mayo Clinic, not everyone exposed to repeated head impacts develops CTE. "A head injury can cause a concussion, which may lead to headaches, trouble with memory and other symptoms. Not everyone who experiences repeated concussions, including athletes and military members, goes on to develop CTE," it said in a blog post.

What are the symptoms of CTE?

CTE has no specific symptoms but some possible ones, as per Mayo Clinic, include:

• Trouble thinking
• Memory loss
• Problems with planning, organizing and carrying out tasks
• Impulsive behavior
• Aggression
• Depression or apathy
• Emotional instability
• Substance misuse
• Suicidal thoughts or behavior

Besides there could be other symptoms like trouble while walking and with balance, speech, swallowing, breathing and shaking.

These symptoms are not exclusive to CTE. They can also occur with other neurological conditions, mental health disorders and age-related changes. Their presence alone does not establish that a person has CTE.

Can CTE be prevented?

As per Mayo Clinic, CTE can be "prevented by lowering the risk of getting a concussion".

A study, published in PubMed earlier, advocated rule changes and legislation to decrease the risk which advocated that "athletes with permanent symptoms should be retired from contact sport."