Pattern of Protein Deposits in Brains of Retired NFL Players Who Suffered Concussions

A new study conducted by researchers from UCLA takes another step toward understanding the degenerative brain condition, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which affects athletes in contact sports who are exposed to repetitive brain injuries. By using a new imaging tool, researchers found a strikingly similar pattern of abnormal protein deposits in the brains of retired NFL players who suffered concussions. The innovative imaging technique uses a chemical marker combined with positron emission tomography, or PET scan, and was initially tested in five retired NFL players and described in an article published in 2013. Building on their previous work, the UCLA researchers found the same characteristic pattern in a larger number of retired players who had sustained concussions. The most recent study also shows that the brain-imaging pattern of people who have suffered concussions is markedly different from the scans of healthy people and from those with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers say the findings could help lead to better identification of brain disorders in athletes, and would allow doctors and scientists to test treatments that might help delay the progression of the disease before significant brain damage and symptoms emerge. To read more about this study, click here.