I’ve seen cross-sectional slices of brains confirmed to have CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) and these slices all seem to differ greatly from a normal looking brain. Currently, why can’t a CTE diagnosis be confirmed with medical imaging, but only through autopsy?

Question

I’ve seen cross-sectional slices of brains confirmed to have CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) and these slices all seem to differ greatly from a normal looking brain. Currently, why can’t a CTE diagnosis be confirmed with medical imaging, but only through autopsy?

In: 285

Answer 1

It isn’t really an exciting answer… it’s down to the damage being too small to see in a head CT. The resolution of MRI’s and PETscans are too low and don’t show the damage. When you section the brain and examine it under a microscope, only then does the diffuse axonal injury become apparent.

Medical imaging is great for anything involving altered blood flow, change in the anatomy (tumors, bleeds, changes in overall shape and size), and altered metabolism, but CTE isn’t any of that.