Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, is one of the most devastating and yet mysterious brain diseases.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, is one of the most devastating and yet mysterious brain diseases. It can only be diagnosed after death, making it impossible to treat.
Research is underway right now to change that, and a former Seattle Seahawk is at the forefront of the effort.
In his playing days, former quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was known for his football IQ, charisma, and leadership on the field. He was also known as an advocate for players who fought for concussion protocols.
"When I played in the NFL, I always had a passion for making the game safer," Hasselbeck said.
He already pledged to donate his brain to research at Boston University after death, and now he's taking a new step.
"This year I was turning 50 years old, and this study that BU is doing, it's for people who are 50 years old or older who played college football or more."
To diagnose CTE during life, researchers need to study living brains.
Hasselbeck recently spent two days with researchers at BU's CTE Center, having blood draws and brain scans. Hasselbeck said the researchers assured him his brain is healthy.
In fact, it's above average for a 50-year-old man. It's exactly what researchers need.
Repetitive head trauma -- like what football players can experience -- is a risk factor for CTE. But it's not a guarantee someone will develop the disease.
"It’s really important that we study people who are doing well now and hopefully moving forward, because then we’re going to be in a better position to understand why some people develop this and others not," said Michael Alosco, Co-Director of Clinical Research at BU CTE Center. "What are some of the protective factors here? And so having those types of people is really helpful to the research."
They asked Hasselbeck to be an ambassador to the program, knowing of his devotion to safety and ability to get other people talking about CTE.
"Once we can diagnose CTE accurately during life, you open up the doors to what we all want – treatment," Alosco said. "How can we treat this progressive, devastating brain disease? How can we stop it in its tracks? It's very hard to do that now, without knowing who has the disease."
"They believe that they can possibly differentiate CTE from Alzheimer's, from other forms of dementia," Hasselbeck said. "Right now, there's a lot of people out there that just think that they have Alzheimer's because they have Alzheimer's symptoms. But that might not be telling the whole story."
Hasselbeck is long retired from football, but he still has the same passion for the game and for safety.
"This is not a war on football," Hasselbeck said. "I love football. I'm coaching high school football. My dad played football. My son plays college football. We can make not only football, but soccer, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, all the sports safer than they've ever been."
There are five sites across the country taking part in the study, offering access to care, research, and resources for people who have concerns. To see if you're eligible for the study or for more information, visit diagnosecte.org.
