Study Uses Brain Imaging to Identify Proteins Linked to Brain Injury in Retired NFL Players

Sports-related concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries continue to make headlines, as the long-term damage they can cause becomes increasingly evident among both current and former athletes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of these injuries occur each year. Despite the devastating consequences of traumatic brain injury and the large number of athletes playing contact sports who are at risk, no method has been developed for early detection or tracking of the brain pathology associated with these injuries … until now.

For the first time, UCLA researchers have used a brain-imaging tool to identify the abnormal tau proteins associated with this type of repetitive injury in five retired NFL players who are still living. Previously, confirmation of the presence of this protein — which also is associated with Alzheimer’s disease — could only be established by an autopsy. For more information, click here to read the full release.