Director of Boston University's CTE center Ann McKee revealed that former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was strongly affected by the degenerative brain disease prior to his death.
Hernandez committed suicide on April 19, five days after being acquitted of a double homicide. The former Patriots tight end faced life in prison for a previous first-degree murder conviction.
CTE can only be diagnosed after a person dies, and McKee revealed Hernandez's degree of trauma was the worst the research center had ever experienced for someone that young.
"These are very unusual findings to see in an individual of this age," McKee said, via The Associated Press. "We've never seen this in our 468 brains, except in individuals some 20 years older."
McKee also noted she had difficulty linking Hernandez's brain trauma with the murder of Odin Lloyd and subsequent suicide, but also said the symptoms of CTE impacted his brain negatively.
"We can say collectively, in our collective experience, that individuals with CTE -- and CTE of this severity -- have difficulty with impulse control, decision-making, inhibition of impulses or aggression, often emotional volatility and rage behaviors," McKee said.
