The autopsy of late NFL star Aaron Hernandez revealed a severe form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Hernandez’s daughter recently sued the National Football League and the New England Patriots (Hernandez v. Nat’l Football League) for negligence related to her father’s CTE and subsequent suicide.
Bloomberg BNA’s Product Safety & Liability Reporter (subscription required) interviewed Professor Betsy Grey regarding some of the challenges faced by the plaintiffs in the Hernandez suit – primarily the problem of proving causation.
“Most athletes who have suffered concussions go on to live normal, apparently healthy lives,” said Grey. “So, it’s not clear why some individuals develop CTE and others do not. Repeated head trauma seems to be a key risk factor, but we’re not sure what the other factors are.”
Professor Grey, a Center for Law, Science & Innovation Faculty Fellow with a focus in neuroscience, also noted that the science of CTE is advancing. A test for CTE in living patients may be on the horizon.
“If a biomarker for diagnosing CTE is discovered—as the recent journal article by researchers from [BU’s School of Medicine] suggests—that may be
a game-changer […],” said Grey. “But we are a long way from using these early biomarkers for diagnostic purposes in clinical patients.”