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The diagnosis begins with the brain being pulled out of the skull. Then, to determine whether someone had a condition associated with repeated concussions, the pathologist preserves the tissue in formalin, slices it thin enough for light to shine through, washes it with chemicals, and peers at it through a microscope. If some areas remain blotched with reddish brown, then the pathologist can definitively diagnose the person with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. (Boodman, 9/27)

Concussion diagnoses have spiked in recent years as publicity about long-term brain damage has made head injuries more frightening, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey have among the highest rates in the nation, a new analysis of claims data by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has found. The report, released Tuesday morning, found that the increase was particularly pronounced among 10-to-19-year-olds. In that age group, concussion diagnoses increased by 71 percent from 2010 through 2015. The growth in concussion rates for girls and young women was 118 percent, while it was 48 percent for boys and young men. (Burling, 9/7)

The percentage of Illinois children diagnosed with concussions climbed by a whopping 83 percent between 2010 and 2015 as awareness of head injuries grew, according to new data released by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. Concussions for Blue Cross members ages 10 through 19 jumped from a rate of 7.6 per 1,000 members in 2010 to 14 per 1,000 members in 2015. (Schencker, 9/27)