Let’s Tackle CTE Together

Welcome to DIAGNOSE CTE-II (DxCTE-II) - a groundbreaking multi-site research project focused on advancing scientific breakthroughs in detecting chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) during life. Our mission is to develop reliable diagnostic tools while exploring factors that influence who develops CTE and why.

In addition, DxCTE-II seeks to compare CTE with Alzheimer’s disease to gain a deeper understanding of their differences, with the goal of improving diagnosis and treatment strategies.

We are committed to bringing clarity, hope, and solutions to those affected by these conditions. We hope you will join us to tackle CTE together.

Who is Eligible?

DIAGNOSE CTE-II is actively recruiting

Men age 50 or older may be eligible
if you meet one of the following criteria:

  • Played college or professional tackle football

    OR

  • Never played contact or collision sports, have no history of repetitive head impacts, and show no symptoms

    OR

  • Have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, never played contact or collision sports and have no history of repetitive head impacts.

What’s Involved?

Participation includes: 

A two-day, in-person visit at one of the five study sites for:

  • A thorough medical history and neurological exam

  • A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of your brain

  • Collection of blood samples

  • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan to detect if there are elevations of specific proteins in your brain

  • Completion of questionnaires on your mood and behavior and social determinants of health

  • A set of standardized tests of your memory and other cognitive skills

Travel expenses will be paid for by the study, and in addition you may be compensated up to $400 for visit. You will receive results from your evaluation.

Interested in Joining?

Contact us:

Submit form or

Email: diagnose@bu.edu
Call: 617-358-5443

Why Participate?

Each year, millions of people are exposed to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and repetitive head impacts (RHI) through contact sports, military service, and physical violence. This can increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including CTE. There is an urgent need to develop a way to diagnose CTE in life.

Your participation will help:

  • Identify factors that may influence risks for CTE

  • Accelerate methods for early detection and diagnosis of CTE

  • Inform the development of treatments

  • Ensure findings accurately represent a wide range of populations

“Some people celebrate their 50th birthday with big trips, but I’m going to celebrate mine by heading to the Boston University CTE Center this fall. I’m blessed to feel healthy now, but I know I’m at risk for CTE. So are my teammates, including those who took hits to the head blocking for me. I’m doing it for them, and I encourage former college and pro football players aged 50 and over to join me.”

-Matt Hasselbeck

Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and DIAGNOSE CTE-II study ambassador

Meet the Study Team

Study Sites

The study is being conducted in five different locations across the country, with the exact same procedures at each site. Efforts will be made to schedule participants at locations closest to their homes. The study team will cover travel expenses.

Meet the Site Teams

Your involvement is private and protected

All data gathered in the study will be handled with maximal attention to participant confidentiality and privacy. Research data generated by this study will be kept in locked files or will be encrypted and stored on secure servers by the investigators.

Your information will not have any personal identifiers when used in the study outcome.

What was DIAGNOSE CTE-I?

We thank all of our DIAGNOSE CTE-I participants and study partners whose participation has given our researchers key insights to help improve our understanding of CTE and provided us with groundbreaking research on this disease.

DIAGNOSE CTE-I Research Project resulted in several publications, which can be found here: Publications

DIAGNOSE CTE stands for Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

The DIAGNOSE CTE-I Research Project was an 8-year multi-site research study funded by the National Institutes of Health that ran from 2015-2023. Participants included 240 men, ages 45-74, including: 120 former National Football League (NFL) players, 60 former college football players, and 60 healthy “controls”.

Want to learn more?Contact us.

Email: diagnose@bu.edu

Call: 617-358-5443