“There is no current way to diagnose CTE in a living person, despite what you might hear.” Currently, CTE can be diagnosed only by examining the brains of deceased victims to look for a distinctive pattern of tau deposits. The first case of a living person to be diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is described in a … Researchers confirm the first identifciation of the degenerative brain disease CTE in a living person, previously only determined wiht a brain exam after death. Researchers close in on CTE diagnosis in living, one brain at a time. By Nancy Armour, August 24, 2018, USA TODAY. BOSTON – Submerged in chemicals in the stainless-steel bowl is the key to life and, researchers hope, death. “CTE is not a clinical diagnosis; there are no MRI or CT scans we can order,” says Lorincz, noting that a recent study analyzing spinal fluid to detect CTE has a long way to go before approval and use.