Former CFL star Rick Klassen's brain autopsy reveals extensive trauma
Researchers say extent of concussion-related disease some of the worst they've ever seen
The brain autopsy of Rick Klassen shows the former CFL lineman had stage II levels of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in combination with dementia.
"The extent of the CTE was a little bit surprising to be honest, the fact that talking to Dr. Hazrati that my dad was among the worst cases that she studied," said son Chad Klassen.
Neuropathologist Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati conducted the autopsy on behalf of the Canadian Concussion Centre in Toronto.
She says the finding of CTE in combination with a type of dementia known as argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) has never been seen before.
'Not usually seen in patients that young'
"AGD is not usually seen in patients that young," she said. "Does it have anything to do with concussions? We can't say."
Chad Klassen said his father reported suffering three major concussions in his playing career, but thousands of micro concussions as a result of playing a position that required hitting on every play.
Klassen died of cancer in December of 2016 at age 57.
The defensive lineman was renowned for his toughness in his 10 year CFL career. He won a Grey Cup with the B.C. Lions in 1985 and was inducted into the Lions Wall of Fame in 2012.
Depression and memory problems
Rick Klassen made the decision to donate his brain to the Canadian Concussion Centre before he passed away.
He suffered from many of the symptoms associated with CTE and repeated concussion, including depression, memory problems and mood swings.
CTE is associated with an abnormal build up of tau protein in the brain, but can only be detected after death through an autopsy.
"It has been hard to hear these results, but they provide our family with some insight regarding the erratic behaviour and depression that he struggled with. They don't, however, diminish what we went through as a family," added Klassen.
"My dad and the family want there to be more education out there so players know what they're facing, not only while they're playing the sport but after as well, because football careers are so short and you still have lots of life to live [after retirement]," he said.
Contact sports linked to CTE
According to Dr. Hazrati, the rate of CTE is higher is in the brains of people who have played contact sports versus those who haven't.
"The reason we link these two things is because it's been reported in boxers, hockey and football players. It is assumed that because they have suffered a lot of blows to their head, that is what is causing the CTE."
Recently departed CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge refused to acknowledge a link between football concussions and CTE, but Klassen hopes the results of his father's autopsy will help push the league to take the issue more seriously.
"The NFL has done a little bit better job than the CFL but hopefully those two leagues become a little bit more conscious of how their players are being impacted," he said.
