Follow-Up of the Day: Junior Seau's Brain To Be Studied
The family of Junior Seau, the NFL great who committed suicide Wednesday, will allow his brain to be studied for evidence of damage as a result of concussions.
"The family was considering this almost from the beginning, but they didn't want to make any emotional decisions," San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell said. But the family wants "to help other individuals down the road."
A link between traumatic brain injury and depression has been known for years, and there are similarities between Seau's death and that of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, who committed suicide last year. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine found that Duerson suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions, and that played a role in triggering his depression.