Would NFL players take a test to diagnose CTE in the living?

Key Points:

• Former NFL running back Larry Johnson experiences severe memory loss and emotional control issues, suspecting he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma in football.
• CTE can currently only be diagnosed post-mortem, but researchers, including those at Boston University, are working on developing tests to diagnose CTE in living individuals, focusing on former players aged 50 and older.
• A 2024 study found that nearly one-third of former NFL players with health symptoms believed they had CTE, correlating with a higher risk of suicidal thoughts, highlighting the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment options.
• Current and former NFL players express mixed feelings about taking a potential CTE test; some would want to know their status for health management, while others fear stigma or changes in how they are treated.
• Decisions about continuing to play football if diagnosed with CTE vary among players, with some indicating they would stop while others would continue due to love of the game or uncertainty about test accuracy.