Case Studies

Pathology, the scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, is the bedrock of medical research. Usually, before a disease can be diagnosed in living people or treated, it must be understood pathologically.

By 2009, only 49 cases of CTE had ever been studied pathologically and published in medical literature, so the disease is still poorly understood. The CTE Center is committed to growing our understanding of CTE through pathology and the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank.  At this time the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank has over 200 brains.  The brain tissue of 90 of 94 deceased former NFL players have been positive for CTE.

Much can be learned by combining pathology with a retrospective examination of the person’s life and clinical symptoms. Please review the case studies below. If the case is identified by name, the family has given explicit permission to share their story with the hope of increasing understanding of this devastating disease.

• Lou Creekmur
• Mike Borich
• John Grimsley
• Tom McHale
• 18 Year-Old