Neurological and CT evaluation of knocked-out boxers

Detailed neurological examinations, EEG and CT scans of the head were performed on 10 professional boxers aged 20 to 31 years shortly after being knocked-out. Intracerebral and subdural haematomas were not suspected or discovered. However, CT scans revealed cerebral atrophy in five of the boxers; this finding was most common in the boxers with the most bouts. The possible relationship of these findings to the chronic encephalopathy of boxers is discussed.