‘Study my brain’: Was NYC shooter Shane Tamura suffering from CTE?

Shane Tamura, the Las Vegas man responsible for a New York City shooting that left 4 dead, blamed football and the NFL for his perceived struggle with the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

“He also writes, ‘Study my brain,’” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said of Tamura’s suicide note, adding it mentions a 2013 documentary on CTE and former NFL players who had the disease.

Tamura played football at the high school level in Southern California.

Whether Tamura had CTE is unknown and may take longer to learn.

The condition is not well understood. CTE can’t be confirmed as a diagnosis until after death, when samples of a patient’s brain can be examined for signs such as shrinkage and certain patterns of plaque build-up, said researcher Brooke Conway Kleven, a post-doctoral fellow for the Department of Brain Health in the UNLV School of Medicine.

In living people, the term Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES) is used to describe the clinical signs associated with CTE and the criteria for diagnosis.

Those at high risk for the syndrome include professional athletes who have played contact sports, such as football, as well as military members who have seen combat, Kleven told the Review-Journal on Tuesday.

Their elevated risk results from “substantial exposure to repetitive head impacts,” she said. “The risk changes when someone has had more than 11 to 14 years of football. … Someone who only played high school football does not meet the criteria we would consider for TES.”

There is no indication that Tamura played football after high school, either at the junior college or university level.

However, an individual could have additional risk factors, such as military service, that would meet the criteria, according to Kleven.

Symptoms of the syndrome include progressive cognitive impairment as well as “impulsivity and explosive behaviors,” which may include violence, Kleven said.

Kleven is researching CTE and TES as part of a team from UNLV and the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. The local team also works on studies with researchers at Boston University, including one researcher listed by Tamura in his apparent suicide note, in which he wrote both “Thank you” and “I’m sorry.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.