The diagnosis was made by Ann McKee, a School of Medicine associate professor of neurology and pathology and one of four codirectors of BU\u2019s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE)<\/a>, who is also director of neuropathology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Bedford, Mass. It was independently confirmed by neuropathologist Daniel Perl, of Mount Sinai Medical Center, in New York. McKee and other BU researchers emphasize that it\u2019s impossible to definitively link Thomas\u2019 suicide to CTE, but they note a pattern of suicide and suicidal behavior in CTE victims, such as NFL stars Andre Waters and Terry Long.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew there was a missing piece,\u201d says Thomas\u2019 mother, the Rev. Katherine Brearley, of Allentown, Pa. \u201cNo one has given me even a hint of an explanation why Owen, at the drop of a hat, would kill himself. It\u2019s out of all proportion and totally out of his character.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas\u2019 diagnosis is unique in two ways: he is the first active college athlete to be found with the disease, and unlike other known victims of CTE, he was never diagnosed with a concussion. However, Thomas had been a lineman and a linebacker, positions that typically involve multiple hits to the head during every game and practice, with estimates of approximately 1,000 hits per season or more. As part of its research, the CSTE team has been studying the role of subconcussive hits in the development of CTE.<\/p>\n CTE, believed to be caused by repeated jolts to the head, is characterized by the buildup in the brain of the toxic protein tau, which impairs normal brain functions and eventually kills brain cells. Early symptoms, which may not become evident for years, include memory impairment, emotional instability, erratic behavior, depression, and problems with impulse control. Dementia waits in the wings.<\/p>\n \u201cThis finding emphasizes that the early stages of this disease can start at young ages even in the absence of well-documented concussions,\u201d says McKee. \u201cIt\u2019s more evidence that we urgently need more research on CTE to fully understand the severity and frequency of brain trauma that can trigger this response, so that we can implement rule and equipment changes to protect our athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas joins a growing list of active and retired football players, and other contact sport athletes, who have been diagnosed with CTE after their deaths. McKee has found CTE in 12 of 13 former professional football players, as well as in amateur football players, professional boxers, and hockey players. \u201cWe will never truly know what led Owen to take his own life,\u201d Brearley says. \u201cHowever, knowing that he had a brain disease that could have had an impact on his emotional state, cognitive functioning, and impulse control brings us some solace.\u201d<\/p>\n CSTE codirector Robert Cantu, a MED clinical professor of neurosurgery, who wrote the original return-to-play guidelines for concussions in the 1980s, says brain trauma guidelines similar to the pitch-count regulations now used in Little League baseball need to be developed for youth football, which is played by one in eight boys in America. A number of states, including Massachusetts, have adopted legislation mandating return-to-play rules and brain trauma education for all coaches, athletes, and parents.<\/p>\n \u201cWe count the pitches of every baseball player to ensure a small number do not develop shoulder and elbow problems,\u201d Cantu says, \u201cand yet we don\u2019t count how often children get hit in the head playing football, even though it can lead to early dementia or possibly depression and suicide years later.\u201d<\/p>\n Brearley says she had never heard of the progressive brain disease when former college lineman and retired professional wrestler Christopher Nowinski, another CSTE codirector, called to see if the family would be willing to donate their son\u2019s brain. Brearley agreed, but didn\u2019t think they\u2019d find anything.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m astounded,\u201d she says. \u201cWe set off down this path of playing football without realizing the risks he was putting himself in. You don\u2019t send someone back in with a bone injury. If I\u2019d even had a clue that he was risking his brain, I\u2019d have said absolutely not. It\u2019s so painful to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n In the wake of their son\u2019s death, Owen Thomas\u2019 father, the Rev. Tom Thomas, who himself played college football, signed up with CSTE\u2019s research registry, run by codirector Robert Stern, which tracks former players over their lifetime and will study their brains and spinal cords upon death. \u201cIf Owen hadn\u2019t taken his life now,\u201d Thomas says, \u201cI\u2019m concerned by how his life would have turned out given the progressive nature of CTE.\u201d<\/p>\n Brearley and Thomas are now advocating for greater awareness among coaches, trainers, and parents, particularly at the college level.<\/p>\n \u201cOwen was a leader and a wonderful person,\u201d Brearley says. \u201cIt would be an honor if he is able to trigger changes in college football practices. Our hope is that the Ivy League schools will step up and play a leadership role in this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n This BU Today<\/em> story was written by Caleb Daniloff. He can be reached at cdanilof@bu.edu<\/a>. The video is by Devin Hahn and Alan Wong. They can be reached at dhahn@bu.edu<\/a> and\u00a0 alanwong@bu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Top](\"\/camed\/files\/2010\/09\/montage_box_brains1.jpg\" "\\"montage_box_brains\\"")
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