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Chris Nowinski: Can I have your brain? The quest for truth on concussions and CTE
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Something strange and deadly is happening inside the brains of top athletes -- a degenerative condition, possibly linked to concussions, that causes dementia, psychosis and far-too-early death. It's called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, and it's the medical mystery that Chris Nowinski wants to solve by analyzing brains after death. It's also why, when Nowinski meets a pro athlete, his first question is: "Can I have your brain?" Hear more from this ground-breaking effort to protect athletes' brains -- and yours, too.
Chris Nowinski - Social entrepreneur
Dr. Chris Nowinski is leading a global conversation on concussions, CTE and the future of sports. Full bio
Dr. Chris Nowinski is leading a global conversation on concussions, CTE and the future of sports. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'm Chris Nowinski, and odds are
if you've met me in the last five years
if you've met me in the last five years
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I've asked you, after a few minutes,
a bit of an odd question:
a bit of an odd question:
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Can I have your brain?
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Now, it only seems like a strange question
if you don't know my story
if you don't know my story
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so please let me share it with you.
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I grew up outside of Chicago,
and I was an athlete
and I was an athlete
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and I was very lucky to get recruited
to play football at Harvard University.
to play football at Harvard University.
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So that's me.
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And then after graduating,
like most Harvard graduates,
like most Harvard graduates,
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I decided I wanted to join the WWE.
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So that's also me.
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(Laughter)
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Sure you remember me
from Monday Night Raw in 2002 and 2003,
from Monday Night Raw in 2002 and 2003,
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and I had a blast
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playing what people
affectionately like to call
affectionately like to call
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Chris Harvard, the Ivy League snob.
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(Laughter)
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It was perfect for me.
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But unfortunately,
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I got kicked in the head
by my colleague Bubba Ray Dudley,
by my colleague Bubba Ray Dudley,
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and I suffered a severe concussion.
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And it led to what became
permanent postconcussion symptoms:
permanent postconcussion symptoms:
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constant headaches, inability to sleep,
depression, feeling in a fog.
depression, feeling in a fog.
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And in that first year,
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I tried to figure out
how could I make this pain go away.
how could I make this pain go away.
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And I wasn't getting
the answers I needed from doctors,
the answers I needed from doctors,
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and so I started digging
into the medical literature.
into the medical literature.
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And I found there's
this whole story about concussions
this whole story about concussions
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that we weren't really being told.
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So I decided to write a book about it,
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called "Head Games:
Football's Concussion Crisis"
Football's Concussion Crisis"
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that came out in 2006.
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But in that process, I learned
it's not really just about concussions.
it's not really just about concussions.
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I learned about a disease called
chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.
chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.
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What we used to call punch-drunk,
because we only knew about it from boxers.
because we only knew about it from boxers.
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We knew that getting hit in the head
too many times with boxers
too many times with boxers
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would cause their brain to essentially
start to rot, to degenerate.
start to rot, to degenerate.
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And they'd have symptoms
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like memory problems
and problems with cognition,
and problems with cognition,
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depression, impulse
control issues, aggression.
control issues, aggression.
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So basically, I got ...
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I got injured at the right time,
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in which the first two NFL players
were studied for this disease.
were studied for this disease.
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And it turned out they both had it.
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The first was Mike Webster,
50 years old, already had dementia.
50 years old, already had dementia.
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The second, Terry Long,
45 years old when he took his life.
45 years old when he took his life.
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The medical examiner in Pittsburgh
decided to look at their brains
decided to look at their brains
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and found this disease.
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I wrote a chapter about it,
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and I thought people would make
a big deal out of it.
a big deal out of it.
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But shockingly, even when
the first two cases came in positive,
the first two cases came in positive,
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there was never a national
news story about this,
news story about this,
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what's going on in football
with these cases of CTE.
with these cases of CTE.
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So the book comes out,
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not a whole lot is happening,
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and one day I read the newspaper --
November 20, 2006.
November 20, 2006.
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I find out that Andre Waters
just took his life.
just took his life.
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Those of you who know football,
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Andre Waters was someone
I grew up watching.
I grew up watching.
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Former Philadelphia Eagles strong safety,
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[44] years old,
a Division II football coach
a Division II football coach
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when he decided to put a gun to his head.
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In the article they reminded me,
his nickname was Dirty Waters.
his nickname was Dirty Waters.
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He was known for leading with his head,
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so I thought I'm just going to look up
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did he ever talk
about the concussions he had.
about the concussions he had.
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And I found a quote from 1994
where Andre Waters said,
where Andre Waters said,
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"I stopped counting my concussions at 15.
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I wouldn't say anything, I'd just sniff
smelling salts and go back out there."
smelling salts and go back out there."
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And I thought, I wonder
if he might have CTE, too.
if he might have CTE, too.
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If that might have contributed to whatever
made him choose to end his life.
made him choose to end his life.
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So I ended up calling the doctor
who did the first two studies, and I said,
who did the first two studies, and I said,
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"Hey, I think you should
study Andre Waters."
study Andre Waters."
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And he said, "I'd be happy to.
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The problem is, the first two cases
died in the county in which I work,
died in the county in which I work,
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and I could study them as part of my job.
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I can't do that with Andre Waters,
he died in Florida.
he died in Florida.
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If you want me to study him,
you're going to have to figure out
you're going to have to figure out
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how to get me the brain."
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So I said, "OK.
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How does one get a brain?"
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(Laughter)
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So I racked my brain
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and I thought, why don't I call
the medical examiner
the medical examiner
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who I think has the brain right now?
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So I called up the medical examiner
in Florida, and I said,
in Florida, and I said,
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"Hey, you don't know me, but do you still
have the brain of Andre Waters?"
have the brain of Andre Waters?"
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(Laughter)
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And he said, "Yes, I do."
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I said, "OK, are you going to
study him for CTE?"
study him for CTE?"
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And he said no, in fact at that time
he didn't believe that was a real disease.
he didn't believe that was a real disease.
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I said, "OK, if you're not,
do you mind if I have it?"
do you mind if I have it?"
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And he said, "Well, young man,
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I can't give you the brain.
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You need his family's permission.
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But if you do get the permission
of his next of kin,
of his next of kin,
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I will release the brain to you."
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And I said, "Great!"
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And then I realized I had to figure out
who his next of kin was and ask them,
who his next of kin was and ask them,
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and it turned out it was
Andre Waters's 88-year-old mother.
Andre Waters's 88-year-old mother.
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And I sat there, and I took
a breath and I thought,
a breath and I thought,
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"Am I really going to cold-call
an 88-year-old grieving mother
an 88-year-old grieving mother
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who just lost her son to suicide?"
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And almost everything in me
said, "Don't do it.
said, "Don't do it.
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It's too much to put
this poor woman through,
this poor woman through,
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she's been through so much already."
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But then this other voice in my head said,
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"You know what?
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If guys are killing themselves
from this disease
from this disease
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and we could study it to maybe
prevent this from happening in the future,
prevent this from happening in the future,
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sometimes you've just got to suck it up
and do something that's very hard."
and do something that's very hard."
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So I called her.
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First time, nobody answered.
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Second time, no one answered,
third... no voice mails.
third... no voice mails.
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The fifth time, I got an answer.
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And thank God that Andre Waters's family
was so gracious about the call and said,
was so gracious about the call and said,
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"You know what, we want to know
what happened to Andre.
what happened to Andre.
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We want to know why he changed so much
in the last five years of his life."
in the last five years of his life."
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And so we studied the brain,
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and it turned out that he did have CTE.
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He became the third NFL player
diagnosed with the disease.
diagnosed with the disease.
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This is what it looks like.
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He was somewhere between mild and severe.
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OK, we have three
of three NFL players here.
of three NFL players here.
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Maybe this needs to get
a little bit more serious.
a little bit more serious.
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Maybe something's happening here.
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So I ended up starting
the Concussion Legacy Foundation,
the Concussion Legacy Foundation,
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actually formalized the work,
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so it wasn't just
some guy calling for brains.
some guy calling for brains.
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And I searched the world.
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And I put together
the best research team I could find.
the best research team I could find.
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So we partnered with Boston University,
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we partnered with scientists
at the VA here in Boston,
at the VA here in Boston,
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and we started a brain bank.
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Turns out, if you want to know
how to cure degenerative brain disease,
how to cure degenerative brain disease,
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you have to start
by actually studying the brains.
by actually studying the brains.
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At this point, we were the first center
in the world focused on CTE.
in the world focused on CTE.
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It just had not been studied formally.
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And so we start this brain bank,
and it's my job to get the brains
and it's my job to get the brains
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for Dr. Ann McKee
and her brain bank, right in the middle.
and her brain bank, right in the middle.
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We also work with Dr. Bob Stern,
Dr. Robert Cantu,
Dr. Robert Cantu,
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truly my dream team
of scientists that I support.
of scientists that I support.
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So my job is to get the brains.
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And I was very successful
in those early years.
in those early years.
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Since 2007 I've started every day
by reading the obituaries.
by reading the obituaries.
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And it's a tough way to live.
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And it's hard on me
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and it's even worse on these
poor families that I've been calling
poor families that I've been calling
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for the last 10 years,
to ask for their brains.
to ask for their brains.
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And so early on in the process,
as it started to really eat away at me,
as it started to really eat away at me,
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I decided, you know what,
can I find another way
can I find another way
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to get people to donate
their brains to this research?
their brains to this research?
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And I figured out,
what if we could create a culture
what if we could create a culture
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of brain donation in this country?
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What if it became normal for athletes
to donate their brain after they died?
to donate their brain after they died?
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And so what I started
was a brain donation registry.
was a brain donation registry.
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And I started asking athletes
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if they would publicly pledge
to donate their brain to science.
to donate their brain to science.
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And it started with, actually,
a hockey player in 2009.
a hockey player in 2009.
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One of my first pledges
was a former Harvard hockey player,
was a former Harvard hockey player,
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Noah Welch, who was
in the NHL at the time.
in the NHL at the time.
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It was a slow start people understanding
what this was about.
what this was about.
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So when the news hit the front page,
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"Noah Welch pledging
his brain to science,"
his brain to science,"
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he said he went
to the locker room the next day,
to the locker room the next day,
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one of his teammates
pulled him aside and said,
pulled him aside and said,
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"Hey, I heard you're donating
your brain to science."
your brain to science."
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And he said, "Yep."
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And he said, "Wow.
How many games are you going to miss?"
How many games are you going to miss?"
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(Laughter)
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True story.
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(Laughter)
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But we've been remarkably successful --
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over 2,500 athletes have signed up.
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They get a brain-donation card
they keep in their wallet.
they keep in their wallet.
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This is mine, I was
obviously first, it says 01.
obviously first, it says 01.
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And I will donate my brain to this.
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We've also been lucky
to have people like Brandi Chastain,
to have people like Brandi Chastain,
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the women's soccer icon,
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NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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Just two weeks ago,
Hall-of-Famer Nick Buoniconti
Hall-of-Famer Nick Buoniconti
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who had been diagnosed with dementia,
signed up to pledge his brain.
signed up to pledge his brain.
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So it's been wonderful,
and the great thing about it
and the great thing about it
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is that it has worked
in changing how we're able to get brains.
in changing how we're able to get brains.
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So now, instead of me having to call,
more families call us.
more families call us.
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And our phones ring off the hook.
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And so I can now focus
on taking this information,
on taking this information,
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figuring out how do we work
towards a cure,
towards a cure,
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how do we work towards prevention,
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and so my life has gotten a lot easier.
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This is just some of the headlines
that we've able to get over the years
that we've able to get over the years
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from athletes pledging their brain.
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The problem has been what we learned.
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So when we started this,
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only 45 cases existed
in the world of this disease
in the world of this disease
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that had been studied in brain banks.
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Since then, we have acquired 500 brains
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and found over 300 of them had CTE.
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To put that in perspective,
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the rest of the world has not studied
100 brains since we started this.
100 brains since we started this.
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What we've seen though
is very frightening.
is very frightening.
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So some of you might have seen
the headline in July
the headline in July
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in the "New York Times."
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And a recent study we published,
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that of the first 111
NFL players we looked at
NFL players we looked at
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110 were positive for this disease.
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Of the first 53 college
football players we looked at,
football players we looked at,
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48 had this disease.
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That's something
that's a very big concern to me.
that's a very big concern to me.
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And so now, I'm very much focused
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on what can we do
to actually treat this disease?
to actually treat this disease?
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We still can't diagnose
CTE in living people,
CTE in living people,
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we have no treatments
that are going to be coming
that are going to be coming
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out of the pharmaceutical industry
in the next five years.
in the next five years.
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This is a long, long fight.
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But our Concussion Legacy Foundation
is here to not only facilitate this work,
is here to not only facilitate this work,
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and that's the long game,
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but the short game is,
hey, we can prevent this.
hey, we can prevent this.
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We can prevent this disease
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if we just stopped hitting people
in the head so much.
in the head so much.
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And frankly, we need to stop
hitting children in the head.
hitting children in the head.
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Turns out, it's not a great idea
to hit a five-year-old in the head
to hit a five-year-old in the head
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500 times each year.
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And it does actually
open up the door to this disease.
open up the door to this disease.
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And so, we've got
a lot of work ahead of us.
a lot of work ahead of us.
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But I have great hope that we're
on our way to curing this disease.
on our way to curing this disease.
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But I hope you understand
my story a little more now.
my story a little more now.
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And now that we've gotten
to know each other a little bit better,
to know each other a little bit better,
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this is the time where I ask you,
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"Can I have your brain?"
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chris Nowinski - Social entrepreneurDr. Chris Nowinski is leading a global conversation on concussions, CTE and the future of sports.
Why you should listen
Dr. Chris Nowinski is an All-Ivy Harvard football player-turned WWE professional wrestler-turned neuroscientist. He discovered the concussion crisis the hard way: a 2003 kick to the chin in a WWE tag-team match ended his career, causing post-concussion syndrome and sending him on a journey where he uncovered a public health conspiracy that continues to cost lives.
Nowinski wrote the investigative expose Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis in 2006 and soon after founded the non-profit Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), where he serves as CEO. He co-founded the world-famous Boston University (BU) CTE Center, where he serves as the outreach, recruitment, education, and public policy leader, as well as the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where he led recruitment for the 2017 study that found 110 of 111 deceased NFL players had CTE. His journey has been profiled in media outlets like HBO's "Real Sports", ESPN's "Outside the Lines" and the New York Times, and he was the subject of the award-winning documentary Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis by celebrated director Steve James.
Nowinski earned his doctorate in behavioral neuroscience from Boston University School of Medicine and has authored more than 25 scientific publications. VICE Sports called Nowinski "the man most responsible for making CTE part of the national conversation," and Sports Illustrated said, "It is Nowinski's figure which looms behind the doctors and the headlines and the debate roiling over sports'newfound commitment to minimizing head trauma."
Chris Nowinski | Speaker | TED.com