Endeavor Health Joins Trial to Diagnose CTE in Living Patients

Endeavor Health Joins Trial to Diagnose CTE in Living Patients

By, Admin 7 January 2026

For decades, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) could only be confirmed after death.
That may be about to change.

Endeavor Health is participating in a groundbreaking diagnostic trial to identify CTE in living patients.

Why This Matters?

CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head impacts.

Those at highest risk include:

  • Professional football players
  • Boxers
  • Military personnel
  • Victims of domestic violence

Today, diagnosis is only possible through autopsy. That limits prevention, treatment, and early intervention.

The Goal: Diagnose CTE Before It’s Too Late

The trial aims to confirm whether PET scans can detect CTE-related brain changes in living patients.

“If we can diagnose CTE in people who are living, we can one day treat it or slow progression,” said Dr. Julian Bailes, Chair of Neurosurgery at Endeavor Health.

“You can’t help a patient if you can only diagnose them after death.”

How the Technology Works?

The study uses positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

Key details:

  • PET scans use radioactive tracers
  • Tracers bind to tau and amyloid proteins
  • These proteins accumulate abnormally in CTE

Once bound, tracers emit signals visible on brain scans.

“A PET scan allows us to detect changes not visible with other imaging,” said Dr. Chad Yucus, principal investigator at Endeavor Health.

Understanding CTE Injury Patterns

CTE is not caused by a single traumatic event. Instead, it develops from:

  • Thousands of repetitive head impacts
  • Compounding micro-injuries over time
  • Progressive brain scarring and degeneration

“This is repetitive traumatic brain injury,” Dr. Bailes explained. “The brain gets hit again and again.”

A Long Road of Research

Dr. Bailes has studied CTE for over 20 years. He began this work alongside Dr. Bennet Omalu at the University of Pittsburgh. Their research later inspired the film Concussion.

Now, this multi-site trial could translate decades of research into real-world clinical impact.

What Comes Next?

If successful, the trial could:

  • Enable early diagnosis
  • Improve symptom management
  • Support suicide and depression prevention
  • Accelerate drug development
  • Drive better prevention strategies

“The hope is to treat symptoms or limit progression while patients are alive,” said Dr. Bailes.

The Bigger Picture

Diagnosing CTE during life would redefine brain injury care. It could shift the field from:

  • Post-mortem confirmation
    → to early detection and intervention

For patients, families, and high-risk communities, that shift could be life-changing.

About Endeavor Health

Endeavor Health is one of Illinois’ largest integrated health systems.

Key facts:

  • Serves over 4.1 million residents
  • 28,300+ team members
  • 1,900+ employed physicians
  • Nine hospitals, including eight Magnet-recognized centers

The system delivers personalized, advanced care across more than 300 locations in northeast Illinois.

Bottom line:

If CTE can be diagnosed in living patients, medicine finally gets a chance to act—before the damage becomes irreversible.

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