The diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is being made more frequently in athletes and other victims of concussions, but this diagnosis is almost never made for certain until after they have died. Now, a new study of pro football players has made some advances toward a test that can be used to diagnose CTE in the living.
The study was done at the University of California at Los Angeles on 14 men who have retired from playing in the National Football League. The men showed symptoms of CTE, such as mood swings, problems with thinking and concentration, and depression. They were compared with 24 people with Alzheimer's disease and 28 healthy patients who had no known brain problems. The study included Alzheimer's patients because they have cognitive problems similar to those seen with CTE.
All participants in the study underwent positron emission tomography (PET) scans of their brains, which can reveal deposits of a protein called tau. Tau deposits in the brain are a hallmark of CTE.
The PET scans showed that the 14 former football players had tau deposits in their brains in a distribution pattern that is consistent with those found in the brains of CTE patients when they were autopsied. The football players also had distinctly different tau deposits from the Alzheimer's patients.
Earlier studies of PET scans of possible cases of CTE were published two years ago. The new PET technology is being developed at UCLA
CTE is a degenerative condition that is the result of cumulative damage to the brain caused by repeated traumatic brain injury such as concussions. It is still not known why some people who have concussions develop CTE and some do not.
The NFL is nearing a settlement with retired players, who believe that the league hid the dangers of concussions.
