What is CTE in Brilliant Minds? (Is it a real diagnosis?)

When Brilliant Minds season 1, episode 5 started, it looked like Wolf was dealing with a Marine with PTSD. However, it soon became clear that it wasn’t that. And no, it wasn’t that the government put a chip in his brain.

He was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE. This is something that usually affects sports players, but in this case, it affected a group of Marines. It made sense to an Army vet. Dr. Nichols was able to take Wolf to a gun range to explain it.

But what is CTE? Is this a real diagnosis, or something Brilliant Minds has made up? Keep in mind that Brilliant Minds hasn’t made anything up yet.

CTE is a real diagnosis outside of Brilliant Minds

CTE is a type of traumatic brain injury. It’s a progressive disorder, and as the Marine Steve Hill found out in the series, there isn’t a cure for it.

It affects people who have had repeated concussions for traumatic brain injuries, and it is more common in athletes than others. The theory is that the repeated injuries to the brain lead to a buildup of an abnormal form of the tau protein, affecting the neurons in the brain, according to Indiana University.

It’s not yet clear just how many people who have repeated concussions or brain injuries end up suffering from it. Not all do, which is why it’s harder to diagnose and even potentially find a cure for it.

The problem is that CTE is progressive and degenerative. It starts off with symptoms like memory loss and aggression. It can lead to erratic behavior, suicidal tendencies, trouble balancing, and more. Many of the symptoms are similar to patients with dementia.

The only way to truly diagnose a patient with it is after their death. This is when the brain tissue can be examined. However, doctors will diagnose if they believe there are enough signs of it being there.

It’s a devastating diagnosis for many. We saw how Steve believed that his life was over because of it. Wolf doesn’t want to leave a patient in pain, though, so he helped Steve find a way to cope with the condition. Scientists and doctors are still looking at ways of diagnosing and treating CTE.

Brilliant Minds airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC. Catch up the following day on Peacock.

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