Researchers know that abnormal proteins, called tau proteins, somehow play a role in severe brain diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is caused by repeated hits to the head (such as concussions) like that which occurs in sports like football and boxing. However, these proteins have only been traceable after the person has died, and an autopsy has been performed.
But that soon could change, as researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, may have developed a method that could identify these tau proteins in people who are still living.
"Early detection of tau proteins may help us to understand what is happening sooner in the brains of these injured athletes," study researcher Dr. Gary Small, a professor at UCLA, said in a statement. "Our findings may also guide us in developing strategies and interventions to protect those with early symptoms, rather than try to repair damage once it becomes extensive."
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