Concussion researchers get brain of late bull rider
The brain of the late Ty Pozzobon, the 25-year-old bull rider from Merritt who achieved international recognition, will be donated to a B.C. firm teamed with an American university for research on traumatic brain injuries.
Pozzobon took his own life earlier this month after battling depression and anxiety believed to be linked to a series of concussions he had suffered from bull riding.
Vancouver-area firm Nucleus Bio LLC will work with a team from the Seattle-based University of Washington to study Pozzobon’s brain and conduct joint research on the effects of concussions.
“While many concussions are considered mild in severity, they can lead to significant behavioural and mental-health changes, in addition to cognitive deficits such as memory loss or problems with attention or concentration,” said Christine MacDonald of the University of Washington’s neurological surgery department.
MacDonald notes there is currently no cure for head injuries and that the symptoms experienced by patients can vary.
Scientists continue to seek answers as to why some are able to recover from head injuries without lasting effect, while others continue to struggle with changes in mood, personality and other functions.
Pozzobon, who hailed from Merritt, but resided in Texas during the American bull-riding season, had been recovering from a broken hand and was in Merritt visiting when he died.
A four-time Pro Bull Riders finalist who earned more than US$250,000 on the circuit, the Merritt secondary grad won the PBR Canada championship in 2016 and finished fourth at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas in November, despite riding with a broken hand.
He had begun competing in sanctioned Canadian events in 2010, before heading to the United States to compete there full time in 2011.