Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck joins Boston University study to probe CTE in living players
Matt Hasselbeck spent two days undergoing brain scans and tests at Boston University as part of a research effort to detect chronic traumatic encephalopathy in living former football players.
Matt Hasselbeck, a retired NFL quarterback, recently completed extensive brain imaging and neurocognitive testing at Boston University to contribute to a study targeting chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) detection in living subjects. The investigation, led by Michael Alosco, seeks participants who played professional or collegiate football and a control group with Alzheimer’s disease but no history of repetitive head trauma.
Additional research sites operate in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida, with the Arizona location reporting about ten participants so far. Hasselbeck underwent mental tasks, blood sampling, MRI and PET scans, describing the experience as eye-opening and expressing respect for those suffering serious brain injuries. He also committed to brain donation after death, encouraging teammates to join the effort. The study hopes that accumulating data will eventually enable accurate CTE diagnosis and pave the way for treatment trials.
Why it matters
Understanding CTE in living athletes could lead to earlier detection and future therapies for a disease linked to repeated head injuries.
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