Did Concussions Lead to Chris Benoit Murder-Suicide?

Could brain damage explain why professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, his son and himself? Yes, according to some researchers.

The analysis by doctors affiliated with the Sports Legacy Institute suggests repeated concussions could have contributed to the killings at Benoit's suburban Atlanta home.

The wrestler's father, Michael Benoit, told reporters Wednesday that he knows his son had concussions because his son told him so. But he also said he knows of no medical records or records kept by the wrestling league to support the diagnosis.

Steroid use also has lingered as a theory behind the killings, since anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home and tests conducted by authorities showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he died.

It would be a gross oversimplification to blame the Benoit murder-suicide on steroids, and it would be a gross oversimplification to blame it on concussions Benoit suffered in the ring. And it's important to distinguish between making excuses for what Benoit did and trying to find an explanation for why he did it.

But no one should see this report as an excuse. It should instead serve as a wakeup call that the long-term effects of brain damage in wrestling, boxing, football and other sports have consequences that we don't fully understand, and consequences that we need to study more thoroughly.