Report: Chris Henry Had Brain Damage

Peter Keating of ESPN the Magazine reports that at the time of his death, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of degenerative brain damage caused by multiple blows to the head.

"We would have been very happy if the results had been negative, but multiple areas of Chris Henry's brain showed CTE," said Julian Bailes, Director of BIRI and chairman of neurosurgery at West Virginia University, Henry's alma mater.

Henry died on December 17, 2009, after either jumping or falling from the back of a pick-up truck being driven by Leila Tonga, Henry's fiancee, after a domestic dispute. Henry suffered a fractured skull and severe brain injuries.

According to the police report, Tonga was traveling 19 miles per hour at the time of the accident.

Bailes believes the CTE may have contributed to Henry's "emotional volatility".

"Superimposed on the acute brain injuries Chris suffered when he died, there was fairly extensive damage throughout his brain that was fully consistent with CTE," Bailes said. "This syndrome is expressed not only as changes in the brain, but clinically, as behavioral changes. And starting with Mike Webster, we have seen common threads in these cases: emotional disturbances, depression, failed personal relationships and businesses, suicidal thoughts, sometimes alcohol or drug use."

Read the rest of the story here.

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