At the forefront of the field of research into the study of chronic traumatic echephalopathy, better known as CTE, is one very basic, pragmatic question: is it possible to determine that a living patient has suffered CTE? To date, while there has been progress, there is no scientifically valid method of proving beyond a reasonable doubt in a living brain that CTE has occurred.
That is not to say that there are no tell-tale signs that researchers and doctors have found over the years in studying those with CTE. Through MRI scans and symptoms analysis, among other methods, we are learning to identify with accuracy CTE in living patients, as verified in the postmortem.