Maine mass shooter’s brain tissue showed signs of traumatic injury but not CTE

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CNN
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Tissue samples from the mind of the person who killed 18 folks throughout a capturing rampage at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, in October confirmed proof of traumatic mind harm however not the neurological dysfunction CTE, in keeping with the Concussion Legacy Basis.

Robert Card, 40, was a US Military reservist and licensed firearms teacher who’d been hospitalized and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation about three months earlier than the shootings. He had no fight deployments, in keeping with records offered by the Military. Card died of a self-inflicted gunshot, and his physique was discovered two days after the October 25 shootings.

The Concussion Legacy Basis stated in a statement Wednesday that Card is assumed to have been uncovered to “hundreds of low-level blasts” in his time at an Military hand grenade coaching vary.

Low-level blast publicity has been related to symptoms that may embody focus and reminiscence issues, irritability and slowed response instances. Research has discovered that some individuals who have had low-level blast publicity, akin to within the navy or in legislation enforcement, have elevated ranges of proteins of their blood which are related to traumatic mind harm.

The Maine Chief Medical Examiner’s Workplace requested a postmortem research of Card’s mind from the Boston College CTE Heart “as a result of mixed historical past of navy expertise and actions,” Lindsey Chasteen, the workplace’s administrator, stated in a press release in December. Nevertheless, she famous that the findings wouldn’t change the outcomes of his post-mortem.

The research discovered that “Robert Card had proof of traumatic mind harm. … There was no proof of persistent traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),” Dr. Ann McKee, director of BU’s CTE Center – which often collaborates with the Concussion Legacy Basis – stated in Wednesday’s assertion. “These findings align with our earlier research on the consequences of blast harm in people and experimental fashions. Whereas I can’t say with certainty that these pathological findings underlie Mr. Card’s behavioral modifications within the final 10 months of life, primarily based on our earlier work, mind harm seemingly performed a task in his signs.”

A traumatic mind harm normally outcomes from a blow to the pinnacle or extreme shaking forceful sufficient to shake the mind contained in the cranium. It will possibly vary from delicate – also referred to as a concussion – to extreme and trigger signs together with headache, dizziness, lack of stability, melancholy, nervousness, temper swings and behavioral modifications.

Repeated mind trauma or shaking can result in CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a debilitating neurological dysfunction. It’s a type of dementia that can embody signs of melancholy, anger and forgetfulness and is formally identified solely after demise, by mind samples taken from an post-mortem.

A federal legislation enforcement supply told CNN that the Military gave Card a “Command Referral” to hunt therapy after he stated he was “listening to voices” and for having ideas about “hurting different troopers.” A Nationwide Guard spokesperson confirmed to CNN that Card was transported to the Keller Military Neighborhood Hospital on the US Army Academy for “medical analysis” after Military Reserve officers reported Card for “behaving erratically.”

The Concussion Legacy Basis stated Card’s household is permitting research of his mind tissue to proceed.

“We wish to start by saying how deeply sorry and heartbroken we’re for all of the victims, survivors, and their family members, and to everybody in Maine and past who was affected and traumatized by this tragedy. We’re hurting for you and with you, and it’s exhausting to place into phrases how badly we want we may undo what occurred. Whereas we can’t return, we’re releasing the findings of Robert’s mind research with the objective of supporting ongoing efforts to be taught from this tragedy to make sure it by no means occurs once more,” the household stated within the assertion.

“We thank the Maine Chief Medical Examiner’s workplace for requesting the mind evaluation. We all know it doesn’t absolutely clarify Robert’s actions, neither is it an excuse for the horrific struggling he brought on, however we thank Dr. McKee for serving to us perceive his mind harm and the way it might have impacted his psychological well being and habits. By releasing these findings, we hope to boost consciousness of traumatic mind harm amongst navy service members, and we encourage extra analysis and assist for navy service members with traumatic mind accidents.”

CNN’s Carma Hassan and Nadia Kounang contributed to this report.

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