Possible Breakthrough In Diagnosing CTE Brain Disorder

“Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease that results in behaviors similar to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, according to researchers, CTE has a clear environmental cause (repeated brain trauma) rather than a genetic cause. In other words, CTE is the only preventable form of dementia.” –SportsMd.com

In “Cognitive Decline: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Former NFL Players”, Attorney Ronald Feenberg filed the first lawsuit, based primarily on dementia, on behalf of former NFL linebacker Fred McNeil. Leading CTE expert Dr. Bennet Omalu forensic pathologist and co-director of  The Brain Injury Research Institute characterized McNeil’s condition: “There is no question about it, Fred (McNeil) is suffering from CTE. . . He has all the symptoms I have observed in all the other former players. His clinical profile is almost a perfect reproduction.” Could Mr. McNeil’s condition been prevented? A new breakthrough, virtual biopsy, may lead to more answers.

Symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

• Erratic behavior
• Impulsive behavior
• Depression
• Memory loss
• Eventually dementia

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: “Virtual Biopsy”

According to U.S. researchers in Health.USNews.com, Magnetic Resonance Sectroscopy (MRS) is a specialized imaging technique that “may offer a noninvasive way to diagnose CTE at an early stage so that treatment can begin before further brain damage occurs.”

How Does MRS Work?

According to U.S. researchers, MRS uses powerful magnetic field and radio waves to gather information about chemical compounds in the body.

MRS Study

Researchers used MRS to study five retired professional football players, wrestlers, and boxers, ages 32 to 55. Each former player was suspected of having CTE. Researchers compared them to a control group of five age matched men.

MRS Study Findings

According to Health.USNews.com,  compared to the control group the brains of the former athletes showed

• Increased levels of choline a cell membrane nutrient that signals the presence of damaged tissue
• Increased glutamate/glutamine
• Altered levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), aspartate, and glutamate

Dr. Alexander Lin on MRS Possibilities

Dr. Alexander Lin principal investigator at the Center for Clinical Spectroscopy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in a press release about the MRS study:

• “By helping us identify the neurochemicals that may play a role in CTE, this study has contributed to our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disorder”

• “Being able to diagnose CTE could help athletes of all ages and levels, as well as war veterans who suffer mild brain injuries, many of which go undetected”

Tagged as: brain trauma, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, CTE, dementia, Dr. Alexander Lin, gary gwilliam, Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Oakland law firm, randall strauss, steven brewer, steven cavalli, virtual biopsy