Report: Family of former NHLer Todd Ewen donates his brain for concussion research
The family of former NHLer Todd Ewen donated his brain to the Canadian Sports Concussion Research Project, according to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News.
Based out of the Krembil Neuroscience Centre in Toronto, the project is part of a study spearheaded by Dr. Charles Tator who wants to examine the symptoms of brain degeneration - also known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy and CTE - in athletes by inspecting 50 brains. Ewen's brain will bring Tator's total to 19.
"We feel that in order to tackle this problem from a research point of view, we would like to examine 50 brains," Tator said. "In each of the cases we try to examine, what was the clinical condition, what were the signs and symptoms of brain degeneration beforehand? That way, we can try to get a complete picture of why did these players come down with this condition while other players don't?"
Ewen died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on Sept. 19. He was an enforcer during his 11-year career, racking up 1,911 penalty minutes in 518 regular season games.
Following Ewen's death, Tator told TSN's Rick Westhead he hoped Ewen's family would donate his brain for the project.