Scientists getting closer to diagnosing CTE in living people using MRI

Good news! Maybe Muhammad Ali (a.k.a. Cassius Clay) may have suffered from CTE, but I speculate. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's, but CTE could not be diagnosed back then.

".... A debilitating brain disease caused by repeated head trauma can only be diagnosed once it’s too late and a person is dead — but researchers at Boston University are getting closer to making a diagnosis while patients are still alive ... The researchers found that the men with CTE had shrinkage in regions of the brain such as the frontal lobe, temporal lobe and other structures such as the hippocampus which has a major role in learning and memory. ... it’s the best study yet that shows an MRI could be used to find evidence of CTE.

The findings bring scientists one step closer to providing that crucial CTE diagnosis during life, which will help answer unknown questions and develop treatments, and also provide a sense of comfort to patients. ..."

Boston University scientists getting closer to diagnosing CTE in living people using MRI

This combination of photos provided by Boston University shows sections from a normal brain, top, and from the brain of former University of Texas football player Greg Ploetz, bottom, in stage IV of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. (Dr. Ann McKee/BU via AP)