Boston researchers say they are now one step closer to diagnosing concussion-related CTE while an athlete is still alive. But some current professional football players say they鈥檙e not sure that such a test would convince them to stop playing the game they love.
CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressively debilitating brain disease that causes a range of symptoms, including memory loss, depression and personality changes. Scientists believe that repeated blows to the head increase the risk of developing CTE, which is marked by a buildup of a protein called tau.
Athletes in contact sports such as football, hockey and boxing are among those thought to be most at risk.
At present, the disease can be diagnosed only after death by examining slices of the brain during an autopsy.
But researchers from Boston University School of Medicine say they may have discovered a biomarker -- a key brain protein -- they hope could help diagnose the neurodegenerative disease in living athletes.
In a study published this week in , the researchers say they tested the cerebrospinal fluid of 23 former college and professional football players, 50 people with Alzheimer's, and 18 non-athletes with healthy brains.
They found that the football players had higher levels of a protein called CCL11. The longer they had played, the higher their levels of the protein.
CCL11 is related to inflammation and has already been associated with age-associated cognitive decline. The researchers say their testing showed CCL11 levels could accurately distinguish CTE subjects from those with Alzheimer鈥檚.
The findings are preliminary and the researchers say that a lot more research is needed, but they believe the research 鈥渙ffers a possible mechanism for distinguishing between CTE and other diseases.鈥�
The eventual hope is that a test could be developed that could signal to those at risk of CTE whether they have begun to develop the condition.
If such a test ever became available, would professional athletes use it?
CTV Calgary鈥檚 Glenn Campbell spoke to members of the Calgary Stampeders, including punter Rob Maver, who suffered a concussion in the 2015 Grey Cup.
鈥淚f I ever came to the point that I ever did get another concussion and I was finding I was having difficulty maintaining concentration beyond my usual fruit fly-span, then I would get that investigated,鈥� he replied.
鈥淥therwise I feel no need to do so now.鈥�
Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson says he welcomes any new findings in the area of brain health.
鈥淚'm not a doctor and don't understand all that, but any advancement that helps out general population (is good),鈥� he said, adding it鈥檚 not just football players who are at risk of concussions.
Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell says he'd be willing to have his brain tested, but he's not sure if he'd walk away from the game if the test revealed something.
鈥淚 would take into a very big consideration. But if it's not something that's going to change, I鈥檒l be honest with you, I鈥檇 probably continue to play,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 love this sport and I love my body and I want to live for a long time, but I mean you only live once.
With a report from CTV Calgary鈥檚 Glenn Campbell
