Before I dive right into Benoit, it is important to have an understanding of what a concussion is and how it affects people. Concussions are the most common form of brain injury, yet they are still widely misunderstood.

Concussions occur when the brain strikes the interior surface of the skull. When a persons head is rapidly moved, the brain inside moves as well. The brain is not stationary, so rapid movements cause the brain to sway inside. As the brain impacts the skull, bruises are formed, and the bruising is what concussions are, on a basic level. Once a bruise (concussion) happens on the brain, it is there forever. The brain is made up of nerve cells, and oddly enough, nerve cells do not go through cell division. Cell division is how all our other cells get repaired when they are damaged.

Now, since these cells do not get repaired, it is critical that a person not suffer more than one concussion in the same area of the brain. By injuring the same spot over and over, you begin to develop severe deficits that will affect how you live your life.

This was the problem with Chris Benoit. It is my theory that due to Benoits style of wrestling, and signature moves he performed, it was likely that he suffered multiple concussions in the same area of the brain. June 24, 2007. Wow, has it really been that long? That night, the ECW Championship was to be won by the Rabid Wolverine, Chris Benoit. At the time, we were told that Benoit would not be able to make the event. We were left a bit confused and also a bit skeptical. This announcement could easily have been a swerve, or it could have been an appetizer to a brand new storyline.

The following night on Raw, we learned that Chris and his family had died. There were more questions than answers, and we were left with a hole in our wrestling hearts. Another great talent in the business died far too early. It was not until later in the month did we find out that something had happened to Chris that made him kill his family and then himself. The mainstream media jumped all over this tragic tale, stating that steroids were what made Benoit snap. Nobody seemed to consider any other options.

At the time, I was just beginning my paramedic career, and I knew very little about brain injuries and the impact they have on the rest of your life. Now, after many more years of medical experience, I feel confident that the Benoit tragedy was because the brain in Chris head had suffered so much impact over his incredible career that he no longer was able to differentiate right from wrong, reality from fantasy.

We all know that one of Chris trademark moves was the diving head butt. Even though he would not make head-to-head contact, he would still make impact with the shoulder and chest area of his opponent. Over time, his body realized that his head was making constant impacts, and it began tosend more calcium to skull to protect it. Calcium is what our bones are made up of. The skull, which is the only bone in the body to protect the brain, built up calcium on the front of his skull. This calcium deposit, over time, provided extra strength to the bone itself so it would not develop a stress fracture.

See the article here:
Brain Physiology and the Chris Benoit Tragedy