The human brain needs healthy proteins for the brain cells to work and function properly. There are some proteins that we get from our diets and other proteins that are produced inside our bodies, such as the tau protein. Tau proteins are the connecting pieces that hold brain cells together. Imagine the brain is a Lego city, with thousands of tall buildings, each one representing a brain cell. If a head injury occurs while playing sports, it disrupts the brain cell structures, like an earthquake causing the Lego buildings to fall apart. Continuous hits shake the brain cells, breaking them into smaller pieces and creating a mess that we call protein aggregates. When these aggregates collect within cells, it is difficult for the tau protein to function properly. Think of a traffic jam on the streets between the Lego buildings, caused by all the fallen debris. Over time, larger protein aggregates collect through the breakdown of other brain cells. As people age, these messes become so severe that the Lego city of brain cells in the brain can no longer function in a healthy way.

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Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2019.00093