Here’s our plain-English look at the month’s most important CTE research and news, with links to the original sources.
A blood test that may flag advanced CTE: promising, but not there yet
You may have seen headlines this month saying scientists have found a blood test for CTE in living people. The study behind them is real and published in a leading journal, but it is an early step, not a test anyone can get.
What the study found. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis measured a fragment of the tau protein, called eMTBR-tau243, in blood. Tau is the protein that builds up in the brain in CTE. In 11 people whose CTE was confirmed after death, levels were higher than in healthy people and rose as the disease got worse. The study was published in JAMA on November 13, 2026. (WashU Medicine)
What it doesn’t show yet.
- It did not reliably detect early-stage CTE, the stage where a diagnosis would help most.
- It can’t tell CTE apart from Alzheimer’s disease, which raises the same marker even more, and the two often occur together.
- Only 11 people with CTE were tested. The researchers say much larger studies are needed, and that the marker would not be used on its own.
- An outside neuropathologist told the Associated Press the finding is very preliminary. (AP)
- Several of the authors have financial ties to the company that licensed the technology.
What it means for you. CTE can still be confirmed only by examining the brain after death. If you or someone you love has symptoms such as memory problems, mood changes or depression, see a doctor: many of these symptoms have other causes that can be treated. We’ll keep following this research and report back when larger studies are published.
[DRAFT NOTE, delete before publishing: add the rest of November’s verified items here, grouped by Research-page category.]
Research news is not medical advice; talk with a doctor about your own situation. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, U.S.).
