Australian footballer Heather Anderson first case of CTE in a female athlete diagnosed by researchers

Australian rules footballer Heather Anderson, who died in November 2022 aged 28, found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy

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Australian researchers have for the first time diagnosed a female athlete with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head injuries, in a finding which will have major implications for women's sport.

The Australian rules footballer and Adelaide premiership player Heather Anderson died in November 2022 at the age of 28, with her unexpected death the subject of an ongoing coronial investigation.

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