C. T. E., which can only be diagnosed after death, is identified by the buildup of a tau protein in certain portions of the brains. Researchers at Boston University have previously said that players who started playing tackle football before the age of 12 had more behavioral and cognitive problems later in life than those who started playing after they turned 12. Other researchers have questioned studies that have shown a high percentage of deceased former football players found with C.T.E. Many, perhaps most, football players do not develop disabling cognitive problems, and there are likely many other brain traumas that could potentially result in the prevalence of the tau protein that is associated with C.T.E. Some researchers are looking at broader populations of people who have had traumatic brain injury, not just football players, to determine whether participation in collision sports, as opposed to genetics or other factors, is linked to the development of C.T.E.

Source: New York Times October 07, 2019 18:22 UTC