Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 25, 2008 10:49:29 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Benoit Suffered 'Striking' Levels of Brain Damage

Posted Sep 5, 07 1:07 PM CDT in Science & Health,  Sports,  US 

(Newser) – Brain damage may have led pro wrestler Chris Benoit to kill his wife, their son, and himself, a neurosurgeon said today, calling the injuries “striking and maybe shocking.” Tests performed on the WWE performer’s brain showed “dead brain cells,” Julian Bailes told ABC, and the organ resembled the brain of an elderly Alzheimer's patient.

The damage was “very abnormal and something you shouldn’t see in a 40-year-old,” Bailes said, adding that three major concussions may result in serious consequences. Benoit’s father said his son suffered “quite a number” of concussions. The new tests follow warnings from medical experts not to automatically assume steroids lay behind Benoit’s breakdown, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Source ABC News

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • WWE Wrestles With Drugs, Lifestyle

    Aug 16, 07 11:47 AM CDT
    WWE Wrestles With Drugs, Lifestyle Chris Benoit's murder-suicide last June spotlighted the disproportionate number of early deaths among professional wrestlers; one activist has counted more than 60 dead before reaching 50 over the past 10 years. And a taxing, drug-addled lifestyle plays a big role. More »

  • Killer Wrestler on Steroids, Family Sedated

    Jul 18, 07 5:47 AM CDT
    Killer Wrestler on Steroids, Family Sedated Wrestling star Chris Benoit's testosterone level was 10 times the normal level when he killed his wife, his young son and himself last month, a Georgia medical examiner has determined. Benoit's wife and son were also apparently sedated with prescription medication. Benoit had taken a cocktail of anabolic steroids, the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the sedative hydrocodone. More »

  • Benoit Bought 'Excessive' Steroids

    Jul 3, 07 11:52 AM CDT
    Benoit Bought 'Excessive' Steroids Over the last year Chris Benoit's doctor was prescribing the wrestler a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids every three or four weeks, the DEA said in court papers made public today. The steroids, which can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts, may have been a factor in the murder of Benoit's wife and child, as well as his suicide.  More »

  • Wrestler and Family Killed in Murder-Suicide

    Jun 26, 07 4:37 AM CDT
    A professional wrestler was found dead yesterday with his wife and 7-year old son in what authorities are calling a murder-suicide. Investigators believe Chris Benoit, 40, killed his family over the weekend in their secluded Georgia home before committing suicide yesterday. A neighbor alerted police, who discovered the bodies in three different rooms. More »

Dr. Julian Bailes, of the Sports Legacy Institute, speaks during a press conference while explaining the damage to the brain of former pro wrestler Chris Benoit, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007 in New York....   (Associated Press)
In this undated photo released by World Wrestling Entertainment, pro wrestler Chris Benoit is seen. Benoit, his wife and 7-year-old son were found slain Monday, June 25, 2007, at their home in Fayetteville,...   (Associated Press)
World Wreslting Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon, right and wrestler Chris Benoit, from Edmonton, make their way in to a memorial service for wrestling legend Stu Hart Thursday, October 23, 2003....   (Associated Press)
Benoit appears at a Wrestlemania Press Conference In New York.   (Getty Images)
This March 29, 2004 file photo provided by World Wrestling Entertainment shows Chris Benoit. The future of Chris Benoit's millions could come down to the timing of a horrible crime   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Anderson Cooper talks about Chris Benoit   (wwfnews818 (YouTube))

« Prev « Prev  |  Next » Next »
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

anabolic steroids  • brain damage  • WWE  • wrestling  • Chris Benoit  • concussions


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »