wr Chris Henry - evidence of prior brain damage

[transient]

Where is the ME report that shows histopath? Maybe Julian Bales is a great neurosurgeon. If neuropathologist (is either doc one?) says there is clear histo evidence of this disease I would happy concede my skepticism.

 

Every post done on a patient I have seen includes a micro exam--especially on the organ that may have been involved in determining cause of death. If the ME has the same result, I don't see where he has come forward to corroborate.

 

www.health.wvu.edu/services/spine-center/pdf/bailes.pdf (copy and paste to browser, I can't get it to work as a hyperlink)

http://neoforenxis.com/index.php?option=co...1&Itemid=41

 

Here are the CVs of Bailes and Omalu. Omalu is boarded in both forensic and neuropathology. Between the two they've had close to 500 publications, speaking engagments, etc, and have been grant funded in the range of 27,000,000 dollars. They are heavily involved in the study of head injuries and their long term effects in the NFL and other sports (HS, college, and pros), and have been concentrating on it for the past 3-4 years or more. Bailes is on the NFL advisory panel for head injuries. Omalu is the neuropathologist who described the findings of CTE in other deceased NFL players (by the description in his papers, sounds like a case report on Andre Waters, and a case series with 4-5 other former NFL players.) They have close ties to the NFL, thus their involvement. Essentially these are two of THE experts in the field of sports related head injuries. The article Doc refers to states the ME report was preliminary. The ME essentially deferred to someone who is much more qualified to look at the brain (not that the ME was not qualified, just that these two are experts in the field). I wouldn't be surprised if they contacted the ME and requested to do the tissue analysis. It decreases the chance of something being done incorrectly and invalidating any further analysis they might want to do.

[Mr. WEO]

www.health.wvu.edu/services/spine-center/pdf/bailes.pdf (copy and paste to browser, I can't get it to work as a hyperlink)

http://neoforenxis.com/index.php?option=co...1&Itemid=41

 

Here are the CVs of Bailes and Omalu. Omalu is boarded in both forensic and neuropathology. Between the two they've had close to 500 publications, speaking engagments, etc, and have been grant funded in the range of 27,000,000 dollars. They are heavily involved in the study of head injuries and their long term effects in the NFL and other sports (HS, college, and pros), and have been concentrating on it for the past 3-4 years or more. Bailes is on the NFL advisory panel for head injuries. Omalu is the neuropathologist who described the findings of CTE in other deceased NFL players (by the description in his papers, sounds like a case report on Andre Waters, and a case series with 4-5 other former NFL players.) They have close ties to the NFL, thus their involvement. Essentially these are two of THE experts in the field of sports related head injuries. The article Doc refers to states the ME report was preliminary. The ME essentially deferred to someone who is much more qualified to look at the brain (not that the ME was not qualified, just that these two are experts in the field). I wouldn't be surprised if they contacted the ME and requested to do the tissue analysis. It decreases the chance of something being done incorrectly and invalidating any further analysis they might want to do.

Thanks, transient. I stand corrected on Omalu's bona fides. It still begs the question as to why the ME would not do a standard microscopic examination of the organ listed as the injury cause of death. Why would they think to send this brain to WV if the cause of death was so obvious that it didn't require routine exam by the ME? Was the ME thinking of CTE? Why?

[transient]

Thanks, transient. I stand corrected on Omalu's bona fides. It still begs the question as to why the ME would not do a standard microscopic examination of the organ listed as the injury cause of death. Why would they think to send this brain to WV if the cause of death was so obvious that it didn't require routine exam by the ME? Was the ME thinking of CTE? Why?

 

Given their research interests, I think Bailes and Omalu requested to do the analysis, and the ME deferred. Can't prove it, but that is my gut feeling. I was scanning Omalu's papers (which BTW Bailes is also an author on... didn't realize it when I posted before), and got the impression that 2 of the 5 cases were conducted in a similar way - gross exam, formalin fix whole brain and send to them. Two underwent a fresh brain cutting and histologic exam as well, and random blocks were sent to them, and one had nothing other than a gross exam, return to the cranial vault, and nothing more until tissue was requested by them. Given that Henry's death was high profile, I'm sure someone affiliated with Bailes and Omalu was on the phone about the possibility of getting involved in the process as early as possible. Again, gut feeling.

 

It also explains Henry's mother's involvement. I don't envision his mother thinking "He jumped off a truck and died so maybe he had brain damage and I should hire the world's foremost expert to prove this so I can sue the NFL" as a more likely scenario than Bailes and Omalu contacting her to ask to examine her son's brain for research, especially given the relative rarity of NFL players. She'd have to give consent both to the exam and to the release of findings at the press conference. Unless I'm missing something where she referenced possibly suing the NFL... I've only been looking at the links posted in this thread regarding her involvement.

[Doc]

Given their research interests, I think Bailes and Omalu requested to do the analysis, and the ME deferred. Can't prove it, but that is my gut feeling.

That's what I was going to say as well. I'm sure the BIRI is always scouring the wires for current or former football players who have died and whose brains they can study. So when it happens, they contact the coroner's office and ask if they can do microscopic analysis. I'm sure the coroner is more than happy to let someone else do the work for them.