brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
Diagnosis of CTE
A doctor's evaluation Doctors suspect chronic traumatic encephalopathy in people who Have had several head injuries Have symptoms typical of the disorder Do not have another condition that better explains their symptoms Imaging of the brain, usually magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is typically done to check for other disorders that could cause similar symptoms. However, no tests, including imaging, can confirm the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy can be definitively diagnosed only when a sample of brain tissue is removed after death, during an autopsy and is examined under a microscope. Only about 3% of athletes who have had several (even apparently minor) concussions develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy. 