By Alla Katsnelson

Last month, doctors released the autopsy results of former Chicago Bears star Dave Duerson, confirming speculation that the professional football player had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of dementia thought to be caused by years of head injuries sustained on the field. Did he carry a genetic signature that predisposed him to the disease? For almost two decades researchers have hunted—some would say in vain—for genes that might make people more susceptible to dementia from traumatic brain injuries. In February, just days after Duerson committed suicide by a shot to the stomach, researchers published another paper that touched on the role genes might have in CTE, but the connection remains controversial.

“If we had a genetic marker that was really associated with a high prevalence of CTE, people with genetic risk factors might learn about them and choose another sport,” says Robert Cantu, co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine.

(Click here to continue reading.)