A Test for C.T.E. in the Living May Be Closer Than Ever

But if ongoing studies pan out, there could be a test for C.T.E. in the living in as few as two years, according to one leading researcher. The future of testing for C.T.E. hinges on developing ways of identifying the protein without requiring brain samples. So, scientists in multiple research institutes worldwide are working to identify biomarkers for the disease that can be seen in samples of blood, saliva or spinal fluid or by using brain imaging scans.

Additionally, Alzheimer’s diagnostics have advanced to the point at which blood tests are now on the market, and companies that have developed those tests are now looking to create a similar blood test for C.T.E.

The most comprehensive effort to develop a test for C.T.E. in the living began in 2015, when the U.S. National Institutes of Health awarded a $17 million, seven-year grant to the DIAGNOSE C.T.E. Research Project.

As part of the wide-ranging project, doctors from the N.I.H. are tracking 120 former N.F.L. players, 60 former college players and 60 people with no history of repetitive head impacts to see if they show symptoms of C.T.E. Beginning in 2016, participants underwent a three-day examination that included neuropsychological and neurological assessments and were asked to detail their histories of brain trauma, lifestyle and other health factors such as genetics in a comprehensive look at their health.

The participants are now undergoing follow-up exams remotely to see if they demonstrate any C.T.E. symptoms or if those symptoms have progressed, and researchers hope that changes in their tests — which include spinal taps, blood analysis and neuroimaging scans — will help them identify biomarkers for C.T.E. The multidisciplinary group of 50 researchers from nearly a dozen institutions globally are already publishing some of the findings from the three-day exams.

“I now feel we are much closer to having fluid biomarkers, and in particular blood-based biomarkers, that will play an important role in diagnosing C.T.E. in life,” said Robert Stern of Boston University, the lead investigator for the project.

The long search to identify C.T.E. biomarkers reached a watershed moment in 2019, when a group identified that the tau proteins specific to C.T.E. were distinct from those in Alzheimer’s disease and other tau-based neurodegenerative diseases.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/17/sports/football/cte-test-concussions-alzheimers.html