BMX star Dave Mirra's brain showed signs of CTE
The brain of BMX star Dave Mirra showed signs of the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a Toronto-based neuropathologist confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.
Mirra died at age 41 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in February
and the family sought out the University of Toronto and the Canadian Concussion Centre. University of Toronto neuropathologist Lili-Naz Hazrati oversaw the examination of Mirra’s brain.
Mirra is believed to be the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with CTE, a progressive disease linked to repeated head impacts that can lead to depression and the lack of impulse control. Earlier Tuesday, another group of researchers announced former All-Pro defensive end Bubba Smith was the 90th former NFL player diagnosed with CTE.
Hazrati said Mirra’s brain had the telltale signs of CTE and research remains underway on what stage the disease was in at the time of his suicide.
“We still need to do more work to understand the staging,” Hazrati told USA TODAY Sports.
ESPN was the first to report Mirra’s CTE diagnosis. The family said in a statement “leading neuropathologists from the U.S. and abroad unanimously confirmed the diagnosis of CTE.”
Fans mourn the passing of action sports icon Dave Mirra
“We would like to thank our family, friends and the overwhelming number of Dave’s fans who have supported us during this difficult time,” Mirra’s wife, Lauren, said in a statement. “We ask for your continued support in honoring Dave’s legacy and for your patience as we plan to create a platform for CTE awareness and research.”
Greenville, N.C., mayor Allen Thomas, who was also a friend of Mirra's, mentioned at a news conference in February that Mirra — like many action sports stars — absorbed several big hits in his career. He suggested that that Mirra could have suffered from CTE.
“This is young man that had a pretty had a pretty rugged sports career and took a lot of injuries in his career," Thomas said. "You have to give pause, think and wonder as we hear about brain trauma in football and other sports, whether that played a factor."
