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Preliminary study finds a clue in the quest to help diagnose CTE in the living
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Key Points:
- Researchers at Washington University discovered elevated levels of a tau protein fragment, eMTBR-tau243, in patients with advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), despite the protein being primarily associated with Alzheimer's disease.
- The study analyzed autopsy samples and stored blood from 11 individuals diagnosed with CTE, finding higher eMTBR-tau243 levels compared to healthy controls, though it was not effective in identifying early-stage CTE.
- Experts caution that these findings are preliminary and emphasize the need for larger studies to confirm the potential of this biomarker in diagnosing CTE during life.
- Abnormal tau proteins are present in multiple brain diseases, complicating the differentiation of CTE from other conditions with overlapping symptoms.
- The research was published in JAMA and presented at a scientific meeting in Japan, highlighting a possible new avenue for diagnosing CTE, which currently can only be confirmed post-mortem.
