According to the New York Times, former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler's brain showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Following his death on July 8th, 2015 from colon cancer, Stabler's brain was removed during an autopsy and sent to researchers at Boston University, according to his wishes. After analysis, researchers determined that Stabler's had "high stage 3" CTE, out of a possible four stages.More, from the Times:
Advertisement
Stabler joins a growing list of dead football players who showed signs of the disease, including Junior Seau, Dave Duerson–both of whom committed suicide via gunshot to the chest to preserve their brains—and Mike Webster, who led an agonizing post-career life before dying of a heart attack at 50 years old. Because CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously, the connection between concussions and the brain disease is still not fully understood. The only brains that have been examined for the disease are those of players, like Stabler, who chose to have their brains examined because they suspected something was wrong.The Times article has cross sections of Stabler's brain with notations pointing out the degenerative areas. The frontal region of the brain showed shrinkage, an area of the corpus callosum was thinned, and a membranous division between two sides of the brain was torn, among other signs. Dr. McKee noted that there is at least a correlation between the severity of the disease and the length of an american football career. Similarly, the longer a former player lives, the further the brain appears to degenerate. Stabler played four years at Alabama, 15 season in the NFL. He was 69 when he died.[New York Times]"He had moderately severe disease," said Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System and a professor of neurology and pathology at Boston University School of Medicine, who conducted the examination. "Pretty classic. It may be surprising since he was a quarterback, but certainly the lesions were widespread, and they were quite severe, affecting many regions of the brain."