Northern Michigan's News LeaderHealthy Living: CTE, The New Dementia

Super Bowl champs and NFL Hall of Famers are a few of the athletes who'll be part of a major study after they're dead. A former pro-wrestling star who helped get the NFL's concussion policy changed wants to treat and prevent a form of dementia called CTE. Robyn Haines tells us how adding to his brain bank could help do it in today's Healthy Living.

From high school to Harvard, to the NFL, Isaiah Kaczyvenski's life was football. Now, the former linebacker, who still suffers the affects of at least five concussions, has committed to help a new team. One day, Isaiah's brain will be in a brain bank. This is where neuropathologist, Doctor Ann McKee examines the donated brains of deceased athletes, looking for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.

It's believed to be caused by repeat concussions or other brain trauma. From the center for the study of traumatic encephalopathy—at Boston University, Chris Nowinski recruits athletes to donate their brains. The former professional wrestler is also Isaiah's college teammate.

CTE has been spotted in deceased college and high school athletes. Nowinski says to help prevent it, we need to limit what young athletes do on the field. Isaiah knows he's at risk for CTE, and that his brain could prevent the next generation from developing it.

More than 500 living athletes have agreed to donate their brains to the research. To date, about 100 brains have been examined at the brain bank-- more than 50 have been diagnosed with CTE.