Doctors working to improve CTE research hope to diagnose disease before death

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Football players are among the professional athletes at highest risk for developing a neurodegenerative disease known as CTE.

Currently, it can only be identified during an autopsy, but two local researchers are working to change that.

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Drs. Chad Yucus and Julian Bailes are studying a potential way to diagnose CTE while a patient is still alive.

Dr. Bailes is a researcher and system physician executive for neurosurgery at Endeavor Health. He joined ABC7 to talk about his work on Tuesday night.