Scientists Take Step Toward Being Able To Identify CTE In Football Players While They’re Still Alive
Thus far, pathologists have been able to confirm the diagnosis only posthumously, but new research offers hints that a diagnosis before then might be possible.
The New York Times:
Abnormal Levels Of A Protein Linked To C.T.E. Found In N.F.L Players’ Brains, Study Shows
Experimental brain scans of more than two dozen former N.F.L. players found that the men had abnormal levels of the protein linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease associated with repeated hits to the head. Using positron emission tomography, or PET, scans, the researchers found “elevated amounts of abnormal tau protein” in the parts of the brain associated with the disease, known as C.T.E., compared to men of similar age who had not played football. (Belson and Carey, 4/10)
The Associated Press:
Brain Scans May Reveal Concussion Damage In Living Athletes
Researchers may be closing in on a way to check athletes while they’re alive for signs of a degenerative brain disease that’s been linked to frequent head blows. Experimental scans found higher levels of an abnormal protein tied to the disease in a study of former National Football League players who were having mood and thinking problems. It’s the first time a major study has tested these scans for detecting chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which is only diagnosed now after death, with brain autopsies. (Marchione, 4/10)
Boston Globe:
Boston University Study Suggests A Pathway To Diagnosing CTE In The Living
“It’s an important finding that will hopefully at some point lead to a diagnostic breakthrough, but we’re not there yet,” said Dr. Michael Weiner, a professor of biomedical imaging, psychiatry, and neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study. (Freyer, 4/10)
