Doctor Describes Chris Benoit Brain Injury

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Last Edited: Wednesday, 05 Sep 2007, 6:35 PM EDT Created: Wednesday, 05 Sep 2007, 10:15 AM EDT

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS



ATLANTA (AP) -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit suffered brain damage from his years in the ring that could help explain why he killed his wife, son and himself, a doctor who studied Benoit's brain said Wednesday.

The analysis by doctors affiliated with the Sports Legacy Institute suggests repeated concussions could have contributed to the killings at Benoit's suburban Atlanta home.

The wrestler's father, Michael Benoit, told reporters Wednesday that he knows his son had concussions because his son told him so. But he also said he knows of no medical records or records kept by the wrestling league to support the diagnosis.

Steroid use also has lingered as a theory behind the killings, since anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home and tests conducted by authorities showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he died.

The institute, which researches the long-term effects of concussions, coordinated the testing using samples of Benoit's brain tissue provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The Waltham, Mass.-based institute's president is former pro wrestler Christopher Nowinski, who has said he had to quit the ring after a kick to the head. Nowinski still has ties with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which runs the league he and Benoit were in.

A lawyer for Stamford, Conn.-based WWE did not immediately return a call Wednesday seeking comment. The company has maintained steroid use did not cause Benoit to snap.

Despite the results of the institute's tests, there was no way to know if Benoit's concussions contributed to the murder-suicide, said Dr. Robert Cantu, a member of the institute who also is chief of neurosurgery service at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass.

"Whether it is the sole factor I believe is speculation and I will not go there," Cantu said by phone.

The level of brain damage Benoit had can cause depression and irrational behavior, Cantu said.

Benoit's brain showed the same degenerative processes that doctors working for the institute found in the brains of three men who had played pro football and committed suicide, Cantu said. There were abnormal protein deposits caused by trauma to Benoit's brain, Cantu said.

There's no evidence that steroid use causes such protein deposits, Cantu said, though he noted the issue has not been exhaustively studied.

Investigators allowed the institute to test Benoit's brain tissue with the permission of his father, who lives near Edmonton in Ardrossan, Alberta.

Michael Benoit said Wednesday that he agreed to the testing because murder-suicide was out of character for his son. He also disclosed that after the killings, he discovered a diary written by his son that showed his son was having problems.

"After reading the diary, I would have thought it was written by someone who was extremely disturbed at the time," Michael Benoit said.

He did not elaborate, but he did say a friend told him that prior to the murder-suicide, Chris Benoit had been wearing a rosary, which he said was also out of character.

"I think it's the extreme that is in the wrestling industry today," he told reporters. "The human skull is not built to get hit by a chair or something."

The father said he has not discussed with his attorney whether to take any legal action against the WWE or anyone else in the case. His attorney, Cary Ichter, said that at a later time he "will give thoughtful consideration" to appropriate steps to take in the "legal arena."

Nowinski said concussions can happen in pro wrestling even though many of the moves are staged.

"I got four concussions in three years as a professional wrestler," said Nowinski, who works for the WWE on its initiative to encourage young people to vote. "A lot of concussions happen from mistakes."

Prosecutors have said Benoit, 40, strangled his wife with a cord, used a choke hold to strangle his 7-year-old son, placed Bibles next to the bodies and hanged himself on a piece of exercise equipment the weekend of June 22.

Authorities have said Benoit's personal doctor, Phil Astin, prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Benoit every three to four weeks between May 2006 and May 2007. Astin has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit.

[samanthajane13]

by Mike Johnson @ 8:05:29 PM on 9/5/2007


The Sports Legacy Institute, headed by former WWE star Chris Nowinski, issued the following press release this afternoon:

Sports Legacy Institute Announces Findings of Forensic Examinations on Wrestler Chris Benoit's Brain

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading medical experts associated with the Sports Legacy Institute today appeared with Michael Benoit, father of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, to release the results of neuropathological tests that demonstrate his son suffered from a type of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which was found in all regions of his brain. The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), which oversaw and coordinated the testing, is an independent medical research organization dedicated to studying the long-term effects of head injuries in sports. SLI President Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit on June 28th, the Thursday after his son's death, to obtain permission to study the wrestler's brain. SLI's research has indicated there is a connection between the repeated head injuries suffered by many athletes involved in contact sports and an aggregation of abnormal Tau proteins in the brain, causing CTE. CTE's most common symptoms include depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinsonism and erratic behavior. Experts believe that CTE may have been a cause or contributing factor in the Benoit tragedy. While CTE has long been found in boxers, and more recently in NFL football players, the findings of CTE in Benoit suggest that athletes involved in other contact sports may also be at a heightened risk for this type of brain injury.

"When Chris Nowinski contacted me about conducting tests on Chris' brain, I was extremely hesitant given the circumstances surrounding my son's death," said Michael Benoit. "I agreed to the testing after he explained their desire to expand knowledge about the potential brain damage that athletes can suffer from repetitive head injuries in contact sports. When the results were explained to me by the SLI doctors, I was shocked to learn the extent of damage and saddened that he could have been suffering from this without anyone's knowledge. I hope the examination of Chris' brain leads to greater understanding and ultimately helps protect athletes of all ages."

Bennet Omalu, MD, MPH, a leading forensic neuropathologist, the Chief Medical Examiner of San Joaquin County, CA, and founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute examined Chris Benoit's brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project and had also examined the brains of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, and Justin Strzelczyk all of whom were professional football players, died by the age of fifty, and displayed similar psychological and behavioral profiles. Their brains showed evidence of CTE and two of the players -- Long, and Waters -- committed suicide.

Mike Webster died of a heart attack, but suffered from dementia, depression, and exhibited erratic behavior after retiring from football. When Justin Strzelczyk died at the age of 36, he had been telling relatives he was hearing voices from "the evil ones" and then led police on a 40 mile high- speed chase through central New York at speeds up to 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway, which resulted in an explosive crash and his death.

Continued below...

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Continued....

"When the SLI approached Michael Benoit about testing Chris' brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project, our goal was to determine if there was evidence of CTE caused by repeated trauma to the head sustained during Chris Benoit's career. We have now confirmed multiple concussions are part of his medical history, along with clinical symptoms associated with CTE," said Julian Bailes, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an SLI founding member. "Because my SLI colleagues and I have found evidence of CTE in the brains of four former professional football players, we felt an examination of Chris Benoit's brain may bring awareness to CTE's existence outside of boxers and football players. The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit suggest that there may be a common syndrome among athletes who suffer multiple head injuries in contact sports."

The neuropathological findings were confirmed by other neuropathologists, and correlate with recent findings of an increased risk of depression and cognitive impairment in professional football players who have suffered multiple concussions, according to research conducted by Dr. Bailes and another SLI founding member, Robert Cantu, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, and Co- Director of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of brain damage that is best documented in boxers, but can also occur in athletes who played football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, or any sport associated with impacts to the head. It can only be confirmed by a post-mortem neuropathological immunohistochemical study. While studies show that as many as 20 percent of professional boxers show evidence of CTE, there has been little study of CTE in athletes involved in other contact sports.

According to the examinations, Mr. Benoit's brain exhibited large amounts of abnormal Tau protein, manifested as Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs) and Neuropil Threads [NTs]. These represent aggregates of abnormal Tau protein, which are remnants of the cytoskeleton of the brain cells and their connections. Frequent NFTs and NTs were distributed in all regions of the brain including the neocortex, the limbic cortex, subcortical ganglia and brainstem ganglia accompanied by loss of brain cells. Accumulation of abnormal Tau protein in the form of NFTs and NTs in the brain has been confirmed to cause neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment and dementia. There was no other neuropathological evidence for any chronic or acute disorder to explain his clinical symptoms.

"The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit's brain, which are consistent with the previous examinations of athletes who suffered from repeated head traumas, confirm the need for a large-scale study of CTE in athletes who participate in contact sports," said Chris Nowinski, who retired from professional sports after multiple concussions and conceived SLI, a collaboration of doctors and advocates that includes renowned attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who played an integral role. "The link between CTE and contact sports is clear. We need to conduct more research to understand the full spectrum of the disease and raise awareness so parents, coaches, medical staff and athletic officials know how to respond when athletes, including children, sustain head injuries. If we apply this knowledge we believe we can successfully prevent future cases."

The Sports Legacy Institute is dedicated to studying the effects of concussions and other sports related brain injuries. Through its efforts, SLI aims to maximize the safety and vitality of all athletes who participate in contact and collision sports around the globe. The designation of the Sports Legacy Institute as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation is in the process of being submitted. The Sports Legacy Institute relies on donations from concerned parties to fund its work.

Sports Legacy Institute

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By HARRY R. WEBER, Associated Press Writer




ATLANTA - Pro wrestler Chris Benoit suffered head trauma from his years in the ring that could help explain why he killed his wife, son and himself, a doctor who studied his brain said Wednesday.

The analysis by doctors affiliated with the Sports Legacy Institute suggests that repeated concussions could have contributed to the killings at Benoit's suburban Atlanta home, though there was no way to know for sure.

"Whether it is the sole factor, I believe, is speculation, and I will not go there," said Dr. Robert Cantu, a member of the Waltham, Mass.-based institute, which researches the long-term effects of concussions.

The level of brain damage Benoit had could have caused depression and irrational behavior, said Cantu, who also is chief of neurosurgery service at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass.

The wrestler's father, Michael Benoit, said Wednesday he agreed to the testing of his son's brain because murder-suicide was so out of character. He said his son complained about suffering concussions, but that he knows of no medical records or records kept by the wrestling league to support the diagnosis.

Steroid use also has lingered as a theory behind the killings, since anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home and tests conducted by authorities showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he died.

Some experts believe that use of testosterone can contribute to paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

Dr. Wendy Wright, an intensive care neurologist at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta who was not involved in the study of Benoit's brain, said multiple concussions could cause long-term brain injuries, but the symptoms were unclear.

"This isn't something you would expect to see turn on one day and have someone fly into a vicious rage," she said.

Michael Benoit, who lives near Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, said that after the killings, he discovered a diary written by his son that he thought "was written by someone who was extremely disturbed."

He did not elaborate, but he did say a friend told him that prior to the murder-suicide, Chris Benoit had been wearing a rosary, which he said was also out of character.

"I think it's the extreme that is in the wrestling industry today," he told reporters. "The human skull is not built to get hit by a chair or something."

The father said he has not discussed with his attorney whether to take any legal action against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. or anyone else in the case.

A lawyer for Stamford, Conn.-based WWE did not immediately return a call Wednesday seeking comment. The company has maintained steroid use did not cause Benoit to snap.

Richard Decker, an attorney for the mother of Benoit's slain wife, said the brain test results "don't make a lot of difference to us."

"Even if the theories about the effects of continuing trauma on Chris' personality are accurate, they don't rule out Chris' excessive steroid use, which we know he was involved in, as a factor in the murders," Decker said. "In either case, it wouldn't excuse his conduct."

Prosecutors have said Benoit, 40, strangled his wife with a cord, used a choke hold to strangle his 7-year-old son, placed Bibles next to the bodies and hanged himself on a piece of exercise equipment the weekend of June 22.


Authorities have said Benoit's personal doctor, Phil Astin, prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Benoit every three to four weeks between May 2006 and May 2007. Astin has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit.
___ Associated Press writer Jason Bronis contributed to this report.

[samanthajane13]

Headline Posted by Keelan Balderson (typesthetalk@gmail.com?subject=Reply To- (WWE) Breaking News: Chris Benoit Had Frontal Lobe Syndrome?) on 07:31:14 AM Sep 5, 2007
Source: PWTorch

In a story that could change the whole view of the Benoit tragedy, Chris Benoit's father will be doing several media appearances offering some shocking new information.

Michael Benoit claims that Chris Benoit had some Neurological scans of his brain, which have revealed he had post concussion syndrome and a condition called Frontal Lobe Syndrome.

Frontal Lobe Syndrome causes emotional and social withdrawal, outbursts of rage and violent behavior.

If this is confirmed it partially reliefs Benoit of his crimes, because in essence he had brain damage. This would also put part of the blame on the wrestling schedule as these disorders are attributed to repeated blows to the head. We'll follow this story closely and get word on Michael Benoit's TV appearances.

[samanthajane13]

Doctor: Wrestler Benoit had 'shocking' brain damage
By Jon Swartz (http://www.usatoday.com/community/tags/reporter.aspx?id=321), USA TODAY

A doctor who examined brain matter from former pro wrestler Chris Benoit says the wrestler had "shocking" brain damage that could explain why he killed his family and himself at their suburban Atlanta home in June.

The tests, conducted by Julian Bailes of the non-profit Sports Legacy Institute, show Benoit's brain was so severely damaged from multiple concussions and head trauma while wrestling that it was similar to the brain of an Alzheimer's patient. The institute researches the long-term effects of concussions.

Bailes on Wednesday showed images of a healthy brain and of part of Benoit's brain — which had large brown spots depicting dead brain cells. He said such damage is not caused by steroid use.

The wrestler's father, Michael Benoit, told reporters he agreed to the testing because murder-suicide was out of character for his son. After the killings, he discovered a diary written by his son that indicated it was "written by someone who was extremely disturbed at the time," Michael Benoit said.

He did not elaborate, but he did say a friend told him that prior to the murder-suicide, Chris Benoit had been wearing a rosary, which was out of character.

"The human brain is not built to withstand the blow from a table or a chair," which is common in professional wrestling, Michael Benoit said. The case of Benoit, 40, has prompted two Congressmen to ask World Wrestling Entertainment. — where Benoit was a star — and other wrestling organizations to turn over any information they have on steroid and drug abuse in pro wrestling.

At the same time, the WWE has suspended 11 performers for violations of a policy that tests for steroids and other drugs. The WWE has maintained steroid use did not cause Benoit to snap. "Today's attempt to explain that Chris Benoit's murder of his family was possibly caused by some form of dementia as a result of alleged concussions is speculative," the WWE said in a statement.

The level of brain damage Benoit had can cause depression and irrational behavior, Bailes told USA TODAY.

Benoit's brain showed the same kind of damage Bailes and his research team found in four retired NFL players who suffered multiple concussions and later sank into deep depressions and harmed themselves or others.
Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University. and a former Pittsburgh Steelers team physician, has also analyzed the brains of former NFL players Andre Waters and Terry Long, who both committed suicide.

Bailes and his colleagues theorize that repeated concussions can lead to dementia, which can contribute to severe behavioral problems.

Authorities say Benoit's personal doctor, Phil Astin, prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Benoit every three to four weeks between May 2006 and May 2007. Astin has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit.

[evergreen]

I hope the families find the truth and get the closure needed to heal. IMO

[samanthajane13]

Posted on Wed, Sep. 05, 2007
BY JIM VARSALLONE

jvarsallone@MiamiHerald.com (jvarsallone@MiamiHerald.com)

Pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed himself, his wife and son in a horrific double murder/suicide in June, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- also called dementia pugilistica, boxer's dementia and punch-drunk syndrome -- as revealed during a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC.

CTE is a neurological disorder which affects some career boxers, rugby players, soccer players, football players and others who receive multiple dazing blows to the head. The condition develops over a period of years.
Benoit, 40, wrestled professional 22 years. He sustained numerous blows to the head via chairs, tables, kicks and punches.

During the conference -- which included Julian Bailes, MD, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University and a founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute; Robert Cantu, MD, chief of Nuerosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass. and a founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute; and Benoit's father, Michael -- they discussed the diagnosis and fielded questions.

With permission from Chris Benoit's family, leading medical experts associated with the Sports Legacy Institute performed forensic neuropathological tests on his brain to seek evidence of brain trauma.
CTE, which occurs in people who have suffered multiple concussions, commonly manifests as dementia or declining mental ability and parkinsonism or tremors and lack of coordination. It can also cause unsteady gait, inappropriate behavior and speech problems.

Sufferers include boxers Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Bobby Chacon, Jerry Quarry, Mike Quarry, Wilfredo Benitez, Willie Pep, Freddie Roach, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Meldrick Taylor.

Several former NFL players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Justin Strzelczyk, 36, died in 2004 during a high-speed chase with police after apparently suffering a nervous breakdown, driving on the wrong side of the road and crashing into a tanker truck.

Terry Long, 45, and Andre Waters, 44, were diagnosed with the disorder after committing suicide. Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Webster, 50, suffered from dementia before his death because of heart failure and was also diagnosed with CTE. Numerous concussions and other brain injuries incurred during their careers are responsible for the development of CTE.

''Hopefully by doing this [brain testing], we are able to bring awareness and save some lives,'' Michael Benoit said. ``We lost our son, our grandson and our daughter-in-law who we loved very, very much.''

An analysis of brain tissue of Chris Benoit, who murdered his wife and 7-year-old son before killing himself on the weekend of June 25 in their Georgia home, showed he was suffering from serious brain damage consistent with CTE, according to experts at the conference.

''This was not roid rage,'' Bailes said. ``This happened over the course of a couple of days, and there is no medical evidence steroids caused this. This is a brain damage syndrome which pre-dates steroids.''

Chris Benoit's brain was processed and examined microscopically using a battery of standard histochemical and specialized immunochemistry stains. Specifically, techniques were utilized to identify tau protein.

Tau becomes phosphorylated and visible when the person has had prior traumatic brain injury, irrespective if there were clinical expressions or identification that a concussion had occurred.

Large amounts of abnormal tau proteins in the form of neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic threads were found, along with loss of nerve cells (neurons). These extensive changes throughout his brain, identified in the neocortex, basal ganglia, substantia nigra and brainstem consisted of accumulation of tau protein in the neurons and their fibers which project to other parts of the brain.

Sports Legacy Institute believes these are most likely post-traumatic expressions of prior recognized or unrecognized (subclinical) concussions.
''When the results were explained to me by the SLI doctors, I was shocked to learn the extent of damage [from repetitive head injuries in contact sports] and saddened that he could have been suffering from this without anyone's knowledge,'' Michael Benoit said. 'I hope the examination of Chris' brain leads to greater understanding and ultimately helps protect athletes of all ages.''

Former World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard football player who graduated with a degree in sociology, suffered from post-concussion syndrome in June 2003. He was a two-time WWE Hardcore champion.

Having sustained a concussion in a match in Hartford, Conn, he performed three more weeks before the increasing symptoms became so great he was forced to take an extended absence.

After a year of post-concussion symptoms, he chose to retire from wrestling at age 26 and co-founded Sports Legacy Institute, an organization dedicated to furthering awareness of and research on sports-related head injuries and increasing the safety of contact and collision sports worldwide.

Nowinski, now 28, also penned Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis, which examined the long-term effects of head trauma among athletes. Although he does not wrestle, he is still under contract with WWE in a public relations capacity.

''Four days after we got the news of the deaths, Chris Nowinski called me,'' Michael Benoit said. ``We didn't know who he was. We had never spoken before. Not knowing him and his background and in the state of mind we were in at the time, I asked him to give me some names of people to call.''

Nowinski said to call Dr. Kris Sperry, Georgia's chief medical examiner. Michael Benoit did, and Sperry supported the brain testing process.
''My goal as I promised to Chris [Nowinski] was to do everything in my power to raise awareness and funds in the work being done [by Sports Legacy Institute],'' Benoit said.

During a press conference in July, Sperry read from the toxicology report which uncovered the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and pain-killer hydrocordone at normal levels and not toxic in Benoit. The only steroid drug found was testosterone at a level of 207 mg/liter. The level indicated Benoit was using testosterone within a short amount of time before he had died, depending on the form it was used.

Sperry noted no other steroids or steroid-like drugs were found in his urine. He also added no evidence was found of GHB. In regards to the elevated use of testosterone found in Benoit's body, Sperry said it was an indicator that he had been injecting testosterone, but how much and how frequently is something that could not be answered.

''We just couldn't believe our son had been involved in such a horrific act,'' Michael Benoit said. ``We weren't aware of anything abnormal with Chris. He called me the week before on the road [for WWE] on Father's Day and wished me Happy Father's Day. He was on the downside not being able to spend Father's Day with his family.''

Continued below-

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Continued-

Michael Benoit said Chris Benoit had a dairy which he began writing after the death of his longtime friend and fellow wrestler Eddy Guerrero in 2005. Guerrero, 38, died of acute heart failure -- caused by an undiagnosed arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Although Guerrero had not taken alcohol or illicit drugs for nearly four years, his past excesses contributed to his heart failure. At the time of his death, he had recently used narcotic painkillers and various enhancement drugs, though this was not known for nearly two years after his death.

Michael Benoit said Chris wrote how he was disturbed at times after Eddy's death. One of Benoit's neighbors in Georgia told Michael Benoit how Chris walked around holding a rosary around his neck about three to four months prior to the incident.

''Chris was not that religious and had not done that before,'' Michael Benoit said. ``It was out of character for him.''

Chris Benoit placed Bibles next to the dead bodies of Nancy and Daniel.
Michael Benoit said there is no history of any mental health issues on his or his wife's side of the family. He noted his grandson, Daniel, never had any mental or physical problems.

Michael Benoit also said there are no medical records of his son having concussions, but Chris told him he had concussions. Michael Benoit added litigation against Chris's former employer WWE has not been discussed.

''I work for a company where health and safety are No.1 priorities,'' Michael Benoit said. ``I wish my son worked for a company that had those same values.''

With Congress now watching, WWE recently suspended 10 wrestlers for failing its wellness drug testing program, implemented after the death of Guerrero.

''We have not sent our findings to WWE,'' Bailes said. ``We would certainly meet with them and any other organization to discuss these findings.''

Michael Benoit and the Benoit family are in litigation with Nancy Benoit's family -- the Toffolonis -- over control of Chris's estate worth millions. The mental health of Chris Benoit and the timeline of the deaths are being questioned.

Whether Nancy Benoit died before Daniel will determine whether control of millions of dollars goes to Chris Benoit's two children from a previous marriage or to the Toffolonis. Police reports indicated Nancy died before Daniel. If proven so, along with the mental capacity of Benoit, the Benoits would then garner control.

Cary Ichter, a partner with Thompson Hine LLP in Atlanta, is one of the attorneys representing Michael Benoit. Ichter was also present during Wednesday's press conference.

[samanthajane13]

Wrestler Chris Benoit Brain's Forensic Exam Consistent With Numerous Brain Injuries


Science Daily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/) — Leading medical experts associated with the Sports Legacy Institute appeared Sept. 5 with Michael Benoit, father of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, to release the results of neuropathological tests that demonstrate his son suffered from a type of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which was found in all regions of his brain.

The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), which oversaw and coordinated the testing, is an independent medical research organization dedicated to studying the long-term effects of head injuries in sports. SLI President Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit on June 28th, the Thursday after his son’s death, to obtain permission to study the wrestler's brain.

SLI’s research has indicated there is a connection between the repeated head injuries suffered by many athletes involved in contact sports and an aggregation of abnormal Tau proteins in the brain, causing CTE. CTE's most common symptoms include depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinsonism and erratic behavior. Experts believe that CTE may have been a cause or contributing factor in the Benoit tragedy.

While CTE has long been found in boxers, and more recently in NFL football players, the findings of CTE in Benoit suggest that athletes involved in other contact sports may also be at a heightened risk for this type of brain injury.

“When Chris Nowinski contacted me about conducting tests on Chris’ brain, I was extremely hesitant given the circumstances surrounding my son’s death,” said Michael Benoit. “I agreed to the testing after he explained their desire to expand knowledge about the potential brain damage that athletes can suffer from repetitive head injuries in contact sports. When the results were explained to me by the SLI doctors, I was shocked to learn the extent of damage and saddened that he could have been suffering from this without anyone’s knowledge. I hope the examination of Chris’ brain leads to greater understanding and ultimately helps protect athletes of all ages.”

Bennet Omalu, MD, MPH, a leading forensic neuropathologist, the Chief Medical Examiner of San Joaquin County, CA, and founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute examined Chris Benoit’s brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project and had also examined the brains of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, and Justin Strzelczyk all of whom were professional football players, died by the age of fifty, and displayed similar psychological and behavioral profiles. Their brains showed evidence of CTE and two of the players - Long, and Waters - committed suicide.

Mike Webster died of a heart attack, but suffered from dementia, depression, and exhibited erratic behavior after retiring from football.

When Justin Strzelczyk died at the age of 36, he had been telling relatives he was hearing voices from “the evil ones” and then led police on a 40 mile high-speed chase through central New York at speeds up to 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway, which resulted in an explosive crash and his death

“When the SLI approached Michael Benoit about testing Chris’ brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project, our goal was to determine if there was evidence of CTE caused by repeated trauma to the head sustained during Chris Benoit’s career. We have now confirmed multiple concussions are part of his medical history, along with clinical symptoms associated with CTE,” said Julian Bailes, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an SLI founding member. “Because my SLI colleagues and I have found evidence of CTE in the brains of four former professional football players, we felt an examination of Chris Benoit’s brain may bring awareness to CTE’s existence outside of boxers and football players. The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit suggest that there may be a common syndrome among athletes who suffer multiple head injuries in contact sports.”

The neuropathological findings were confirmed by other neuropathologists, and correlate with recent findings of an increased risk of depression and cognitive impairment in professional football players who have suffered multiple concussions, according to research conducted by Dr. Bailes and another SLI founding member, Robert Cantu, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, and Co-Director of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of brain damage that is best documented in boxers, but can also occur in athletes who played football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, or any sport associated with impacts to the head. It can only be confirmed by a post-mortem neuropathological immunohistochemical study. While studies show that as many as 20 percent of professional boxers show evidence of CTE, there has been little study of CTE in athletes involved in other contact sports.
According to the examinations, Mr. Benoit’s brain exhibited large amounts of abnormal Tau protein, manifested as Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs) and Neuropil Threads [NTs]. These represent aggregates of abnormal Tau protein, which are remnants of the cytoskeleton of the brain cells and their connections. Frequent NFTs and NTs were distributed in all regions of the brain including the neocortex, the limbic cortex, subcortical ganglia and brainstem ganglia accompanied by loss of brain cells. Accumulation of abnormal Tau protein in the form of NFTs and NTs in the brain has been confirmed to cause neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment and dementia. There was no other neuropathological evidence for any chronic or acute disorder to explain his clinical symptoms.

“The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit’s brain, which are consistent with the previous examinations of athletes who suffered from repeated head traumas, confirm the need for a large-scale study of CTE in athletes who participate in contact sports,” said Chris Nowinski, who retired from professional sports after multiple concussions and conceived SLI, a collaboration of doctors and advocates that includes renowned attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who played an integral role. “The link between CTE and contact sports is clear. We need to conduct more research to understand the full spectrum of the disease and raise awareness so parents, coaches, medical staff and athletic officials know how to respond when athletes, including children, sustain head injuries. If we apply this knowledge we believe we can successfully prevent future cases.”

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Sports Legacy Institute.

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Normal brain tissue vs. Benoit's brain tissue.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p273/samanthajane13/stuff/normalvs.benoitbraintissue.jpg


Top: Slide detailing x600 magnification of immunostained neocortex in a non-CTE damaged brain. Bottom: Slide detailing x600 magnification of Chris Benoit's tau-immunostained neocortex showing neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic threads, and several ghost tangles indicating CTE. (Credit: Image courtesy of Sports Legacy Institute)