New study suggests concussions caused Benoit's rage

From WSBTV.com

NEW YORK -- A new study suggests that a series of concussions may have caused the rage that led wrestler Chris Benoit to murder his wife, his son and commit suicide.

Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, turned over part of the wrestler's brain to researchers at West Virginia University and the Sports Legacy Institute.

"I was grasping for anything. The world was very black. We didn't even know how to deal with this," said Michael Benoit.

Dr. Julian Bailes, head of neurosurgery at WVU, said the results of tests on Chris Benoit's brain were striking.

Showing a slide of Benoit's brain tissue Wednesday morning on ABC's Good Morning America Bailes pointed out what he called abnormalities.

"These are dead brain cells," said Bailes.

When asked how much of that he found Bailes replied, "It was extensive, throughout Chris's brain. It was striking and maybe shocking in the extent."

The researcher said Benoit's brain scan looked similar to those of Alzheimer's patients.

He described Benoit's brain as "very abnormal, something you should never see in a 40-year old."

Bailes has done similar research on the brains of former professional football players who committed suicide.

He said he found similar brain damage in their cases.

Bailes theroizes that repeated concussions can lead to dementia which can contribute to severe behaviorial problems.

In the case of the former NFL players he said he found a recurring "theme of failure in their personal lives and their business lives, depression and then ultimate suicide."

Benoit's father suggests that brain damage could have lead his son to murder his family.

"We have no understanding of how this could have happened. So it was important to us to investigate to see if something went terribly wrong," said Michael Benoit.

He said his son suffered dozens of concussions during his wrestling career.

Investigators have said that Benoit killed his wife, then his son and then himself in his Fayetteville, Ga. home the weekend of June 22.

"Growing up my dad was like 'You have a great last name, Galifianakis. Galifianakis...begins with a gal...and ends with a kiss...' I'm like that's great dad, can we get it changed to 'Galifianafuck' please?" -- Zach Galifianakis