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Pathologist says Waters' brain tissue had deteriorated

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[ESPN]
A leading forensic pathologist told The New York Times that brain damage suffered by former NFL defensive back Andre Waters may have led to his depression and ultimately his suicide.

The forensic pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh, told The Times that the condition of Waters' brain tissue was what would be expected in an 85-year-old man, and there were characteristics of someone being in the early stages of Alzheimer's. The doctor said he believes the brain damage had come from or had been quickened by successive concussions.

Waters was 44 and a father of three when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Nov. 20 in Tampa, Fla., three days before Thanksgiving.

"No matter how you look at it, distort it, bend it," Omalu told The Times in a telephone interview, "it's the significant forensic factor given the global scenario."

If Waters had lived another 10 to 15 years, Omalu told The Times he believes "Andre Waters would have been fully incapacitated."
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The Times cited a study by the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes, based at the University of North Carolina, of 2,500 former NFL players that found that cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's-like symptoms and depression rose in direct proportion to the number of concussions a player had sustained. The same group conducted a 2003 study which found a link between multiple concussions and depression among former pro players with histories of concussions. Then 2005 study was a follow up to the one two years prior.

According to The Times story, written by Alan Schwarz, Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard football player and professional wrestler who has suffered a number of concussions, initiated the inquiry. He called the Waters family to request permission to use remaining parts of Waters' brain for testing. The family agreed and signed release forms in mid-December. Four pieces of Waters' brain were sent from the Hillsborough County, Fla., medical examiner's office to Pittsburgh for testing by Dr. Omalu.


On Jan. 4, tests came back and Dr. Omalu said the results were similar to that of an 80-plus-year-old Alzheimer's patient.
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all goes to show you that we're not in much as in control of ourselves as we think.
 
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