# Preliminary study finds a clue in the quest to help diagnose CTE in the living

Source: [Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-preliminary-clue-quest-cte.html) · 2026-11-14 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/preliminary-study-finds-a-clue-in-the-quest-to-help-diagnose-cte-in-the-living-59522a6f01ec9be6
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- Scientists found a preliminary hint that measuring a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's disease could one day help diagnose CTE in living people.
- The finding came from a preliminary study, and the source describes it as a clue rather than a validated test.
- The approach is aimed at football players and others who have suffered repeated blows to the head.

## Why it matters

CTE can currently be confirmed only after death, so a blood-based marker that works in living people would be a significant step if later studies confirm it.

## Coverage

- [Preliminary study finds a clue in the quest to help diagnose CTE in the living](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-preliminary-clue-quest-cte.html) — Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories, 2026-11-14

Tags: cte, alzheimers, biomarkers, traumatic brain injury, neurology, diagnostics

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science