Former Bruins enforcer, radio host Lyndon Byers diagnosed with CTE after his death

Lyndon Byers, a former Boston Bruins player and longtime radio co-host, died at 61 and was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. His family authorized disclosure of testing results to increase awareness of CTE’s effects. Byers had pledged to donate his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University’s CTE Center for further testing. Dr. Ann McKee reported that Byers had Stage 3 CTE, a progressive degenerative condition linked to contact sports such as hockey and football. Stage 3 disease is associated with cognitive symptoms and a high likelihood of dementia. Byers’ widow described major personality changes, depression, hallucinations, and short-term memory loss after his playing career.

"Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center and chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System, said that Byers suffered from Stage 3 (of 4) of the progressive, degenerative brain disease, which has been linked to athletes in contact sports, including football and hockey. "With stage 3 disease like Lyndon Byers had, individuals almost always report cognitive symptoms, and 50% develop dementia," Dr. McKee said. "We thank the Byers family for this contribution to research, which brings us closer to our goal of diagnosing CTE during life and develop effective treatments for those still living.""

"Byers died last July at 61 years old, with the former NHLer pledging to donate his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University's CTE Center for further testing prior to his death. Byers' family said they authorized the results of that testing to be revealed in order to raise awareness about the effects of CTE."

"Byers' widow, Anne Byers, noted that Byers' personality shifted dramatically at times after his playing career. "He was so fun and vibrant but towards the end it got to the point where didn't want to socialize or even leave the house. He battled severe depression, had episodes of hallucinations, and his struggles with short-term memory loss made it difficult for him to navigate the day on his own," she said."

Read at Boston.com