Evening star., 1952-10-29
Colorado Prizefiehters
Tested on Brain Waves
Blows on Head Could Show
Permanent Punch Drunk
By Thomos R. Henry

Ne
Prizefighters in Colorado are required
to submit to periodic tests of their
brain waves"
This is to discover whether the normal
electric pattern of their brains has
changed with repeated blows on the
head. Any notable change in this pat
tern may indicate that the fighter is
nearing the state of permanent punch
drunkenness
Every professional boxer in the State
must have an electroencephalogram at
least once year in order to retain his
license. One must be taken within, at
the most, two weeks after any knock
out. If there are any suspicious record
ingS there are frequent, repeated ex-
aminationS.
Some of the findings have Just been
reported to the American Medical AS
sociation by Drs. Edward w. BuSse and
Albert j. Silverman of the University
Of Colorado It was because of recon-
mendations from the University Medical
Center that the State adopted the
regulation.
Due to Brain Damage.
mild psychic changes" they say,
"are observed in high percentage Of
boxers. These changes are due to brain
damage, which is also responsible for
the less frequently seen punch-drunk
person who is in state of dementia
and reveals severe psychic and neuro-
logical abnormalities.
Knockouts. they say, are usually the
result of an injury which alters brain
function. The same result is found II
the injury is not so severe, but is re-
peated frequently.
First, the electroencephalogr
have shown considerable changes from
normal if taken Immediately after a
fight. They tend to return to normal
in half hour or so, If the battle has
not been too severe.
In the Colorado examinations brain
wave recordings are taken from all the
major lobeS of the brain-eSpecially
from the frontal lobes where, 1t iS pre-
Sumed, are the centers governing most
conscious behavior.
These are compared with supposedly
normal records taken when the fighter
is asleep, when the brain pattern is not
disturbed by any emotions.
Drs. Busse and Silverman report on
"a cases which they have studied. Ten
of these had been knocked out at least
once in their ring careers. Three had
severely abnormal records. Among IA
who never had been knocked out, only
one showed severe abnormality, but four
showed moderate abnormalities.
Apparently the length of time q man
had been fighting had nothing to do
with his brain waves. Severe disturb
ances we're seen in boxers who had been
in from two to fifty fights. But normal
records were found in men who had
fought in more than 100 ring battles.
Findings Support Claim.
On the whole, the doctors say. the
findings support the claim that abnormal
brain waves are evidence that a man
has suffered actual brain damage.
Younger fighters showed more unusual
patterns than older men.
lone can speculate" says the report,
"that the older men had been fighting
for years and, having escaped brain
damage in their first fights, were more
experienced and better able to avoid
injury in the ring. There are individual
differences in susceptibility, so that in
any group of boxers exposed to injury
over a period it is likely that the more
susceptible men soon are damaged per-
manently and retire from the ring. leav-
ing the less susceptible fellows to carry
on.
"An interesting observation made dur
ing this study was that men who showed
encephalographic abnormalities ap.
peared to be much more aggressive when
fighting"
The most frequent abnormality, It ap-
pears. came in the electrical waves from
the temporal lobes Of the brain, the areas
just above the ears.