Researchers observed significant similarities in the pattern of abnormal brain protein deposits among retired NFL players who had suffered from concussions.
The findings could provide insight into a degenerative brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which often affects athletes who were exposed to repeated head trauma, the University of California, Los Angeles reported. To make their findings the researchers used an imaging technique that incorporates chemical markers with positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
"The distribution pattern of the abnormal brain proteins, primarily tau, observed in these PET scans, presents a 'fingerprint' characteristic of CTE," said Dr. Jorge Barrio, senior author of the study and a professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
CTE is known to cause memory loss, confusion, depression, tremors, and progressive dementia. Currently the only way to diagnose this condition is in an autopsy, but these new findings could help physicians detect it during a patient's life. The researcher identified four stages of protein deposits that could indicate early to advanced levels of CTE.
"These different stages reflected by the brain marker may give us more insight into how CTE develops and allow us to track the disease over time," said Dr. Vladimir Kepe, an author of the study and a research pharmacologist in molecular and medical pharmacology at the Geffen School of Medicine.
The study looked at 14 retired NFL players (including five from a previous study), who had sustained at least one concussion during their time in the game. The results were compared with brain scans from 19 men and nine women with healthy brains as well as 12 men and 12 women with Alzheimer's.
"We found that the imaging pattern in people with suspected CTE differs significantly from healthy volunteers and those with Alzheimer's dementia," said Dr. Julian Bailes, a study author and director of the Brain Injury Research Institute and the Bennett Tarkington Chairman of the department of neurosurgery at NorthShore University HealthSystem. "These results suggest that this brain scan may also be helpful as a test to differentiate trauma-related cognitive issues from those caused by Alzheimer's disease."
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
