Doctors confirmed a diagnosis of CTE in one of the players, who is unnamed in the paper, after he died. To date, doctors have only been able to make posthumous diagnoses of CTE, which has been associated with symptoms such as memory loss, depression and dementia. Around the time he underwent the experimental brain scan at 59, he was exhibiting behaviors consistent with known CTE symptoms, including impaired motor skills that deteriorated until he could no longer feed himself. Also, researchers used a number of clinical signs to make the diagnosis, including symptoms of depression and motor skills damage. CTE has been discovered during autopsies on a number of former players, including Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau and Pro Bowl safety Dave Duerson, who both took their own lives.

Source: The Guardian November 16, 2017 20:03 UTC