Kraken broadcaster JT Brown said he plans to donate his brain to CTE research

SEATTLE — Before joining the Seattle Kraken broadcast team, J.T. Brown played hockey in juniors, college, in Europe and for the National Hockey League.

While racking up games on the field and compiling career stats, he also suffered multiple concussions and other hits to the head during his sports play.

He says he never played dirty, but does admit to being aggressive.

"I played physical. I played with that edge," Brown said. "Maybe a little bit of nastiness in there."

And he didn't shy away from fights.

It's part of the reason I played as long as I did, because I was willing to step up for my teammates and do whatever was needed," Brown said. "It's a tough spot for me.

Brown says he had four documented concussions but guesses the true number is at least twice that. And when it comes to long-lasting impacts from the blows, researchers have found devastating brain changes can comes from repeated hits, even without a concussion.

"I think for me, it's definitely a concern, and I want to continue to stay active in watching for different signs that I can see or that's changing," Brown said, adding that he has not yet experienced any cognitive issues, which is important as he learns a new job as a broadcaster. "You just have to be on. Mentally, you're trying to be as perfect as possible. You're trying to be as prepared as possible."

Last fall, Brown announced he would donate his brain to Boston University's CTE Center, which specializes in the study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The condition is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive brain trauma and is most often seen in athletes and military personnel.

Currently, the condition can only be diagnosed after death.

In 2017, Boston researchers found CTE in 99 percent of former NFL players and 91 percent of former college football players who donated their brains. The family of WSU quarterback Tyler Hilinsky revealed they donated his brain after he died of suicide, and he too, had CTE.

As researchers look for ways to detect the disease during life -- and to treat it -- they need donations from people like Brown.

"A lot of the individuals who come to us are people who have symptoms. And we really need more individuals who don't have symptoms," said Dr. Michael Alosco, who is a lead investigator of the BU CTE Center. "And that allows us to better understand who does and who doesn't go on to get CTE or these other types of diseases of the brain. And that's really a critical question."

Alosco said a single donation, like Brown's, can help provide valuable data for hundreds of studies into CTE.

"We're developing ways where we can detect CTE in someone who is still living," Alosco said. "And we can do that by better understanding, what are the specific thinking and memory problems we see in CTE. What are the specific mood and behavior changes of CTE, and coupling that with, what does CTE look like in a routine MRI of the brain."

This fighter is also a father.

"You're putting yourself through a lot when, down the road, I'm going to want to be there for Lily, and now Booker as well," Brown said of his daughter and son. "And then when the time comes, hopefully a long time down the road, I can definitely help with research."

Alosco calls the donation incredibly valuable.

"There is a major need here for research on this disease," Alosco said. "There are millions of people exposed to these repeated head injuries."