UCLA neuroscientists analyzed the brains of 14 ex-NFL players to study chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain condition found in athletes who suffer from repeated brain injuries.
The researchers performed PET brain scans on the former football players after injecting them with the chemical marker FDDNP, which binds to protein deposits normally found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, including a protein called tau. The scans displayed similar patterns of tau deposits in brain areas as those seen in autopsies for CTE patients. These areas – the amygdala and subcortical regions – control functions such as learning, behavior and emotion.
Researchers identified four stages of tau deposits that could help them diagnose CTE in athletes in the earlier and advanced stages. These findings could also allow scientists to test treatments that could delay the progression of CTE before symptoms even appear.
Compiled by Allison Ong, Bruin contributor.