In an ESPN exclusive, Alyssa Roenigk reveals that Dave Mirra's brain was found to have CTE. The finding is the first for an action sports athlete. Today, Roenigk and Kevin Robinson join Outside The Lines to discuss Dave Mirra's life and legacy. (6:54) 
 
 BMX icon Dave Mirra, who died in February, suffered from the type of chronic brain damage that has shown up in the brains of dozens of football players, a University of Toronto neuropathologist has concluded. Multiple neuropathologists confirmed the diagnosis. 
 
 Mirra is the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease that can lead to dementia, memory loss and depression. He died on Feb. 4 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 
 
 The tau protein deposits found in Mirra's brain were indistinguishable from the kind that have been found in the brains of former football and hockey players with CTE, Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati, the Toronto neuropathologist, told ESPN The Magazine. 
 
 Editor's Picks Wife of Dave Mirra, first action sports athlete with CTE, discusses his last weeks and legacy BMX pioneer Dave Mirra is the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with CTE. In an exclusive interview, his wife, Lauren Mirra, speaks about his diagnosis, his last weeks and his legacy. 
 
 "I couldn't tell the difference," she said. "The trauma itself defines the disease, not how you got the trauma." 
 
 The trademark tau protein deposits were found in the frontal and temporal lobes of Mirra's brain. 
 
 "It's assumed it is related to multiple concussions that happened years before," she said. 
 
 Mirra, who was 41, suffered a fractured skull when a car hit him at age 19, and he dabbled in boxing after his retirement from BMX. But he also endured countless concussions during his BMX career, beginning at a young age. 
 
 A legend in freestyle BMX, Mirra was the face of his sport to the mainstream. Until 2013, he owned the record for the most X Games medals in history with 24. He also had a successful video game series and hosted a show on MTV. After retiring from competitive BMX in 2011, Mirra competed in the sports of rallycross and triathlon. 
 
 After his death, Mirra's family decided to have his brain studied for CTE. At the request of the Mirra family, Hazrati sent images of her prepared slides, without background information or Mirra's name attached, to additional U.S. and Canadian neuropathologists for their opinions. Each confirmed Hazrati's diagnosis of CTE. 
 
 "It validates what we have been thinking about brain injuries in boxers and football players," Hazrati said. "The key is brain injury. Regardless of how you get it, through BMX or hockey, you are at risk for this." 
 
 CTE is a progressive disease associated with repeated head trauma. Although long known to occur in boxers, it was not discovered in football players and other athletes until 2002. 
 
 Mirra's widow, Lauren, received the diagnosis about her late husband in March. In an exclusive interview with ESPN The Magazine for its June 6 issue, she spoke about Mirra's diagnosis and legacy, and she detailed personality changes in his final year. 
 
 "I started to notice changes in his mood. And then it quickly started to get worse," Lauren said. "He wasn't able to be present in any situation or conversation, so it was hard to be in a relationship with him to any degree. He was lost. I looked straight through him on a few occasions. And I was like, 'Where are you? Where are you? What is wrong?' 
 
 "This is the beginning of bringing awareness. It would be amazing if this is something we can detect in life one day. If we can detect it, prevent it, stop it, let's do all of the above." 
 
 CTE can be diagnosed only after death, though many researchers are working on tests to diagnose it in the living. 
 
 Mirra will be inducted into the National BMX Hall of Fame in Chula Vista, California, on June 11. He will also be honored June 4 during this year's X Games in Austin, Texas, with a new event named for him, the Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick competition. The winner will be awarded the Mirra Golden Pedal and prize money. 
 
 ESPN owns and produces the X Games, which had no comment on Mirra's diagnosis. ||||| Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share BMX legend Dave Mirra suffered from CTE before his death in February, multiple neuropathologists have confirmed, according to ESPN. Time_Sports 
 
 Former BMX rider Dave Mirra in June of 2015. (Photo: Ed Reinke, AP) 
 
 The brain of BMX star Dave Mirra showed signs of the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a Toronto-based neuropathologist confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. 
 
 Mirra died at age 41 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in February 
 
 and the family sought out the University of Toronto and the Canadian Concussion Centre. University of Toronto neuropathologist Lili-Naz Hazrati oversaw the examination of Mirra’s brain. 
 
 Mirra is believed to be the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with CTE, a progressive disease linked to repeated head impacts that can lead to depression and the lack of impulse control. Earlier Tuesday, another group of researchers announced former All-Pro defensive end Bubba Smith was the 90th former NFL player diagnosed with CTE. 
 
 Hazrati said Mirra’s brain had the telltale signs of CTE and research remains underway on what stage the disease was in at the time of his suicide. 
 
 “We still need to do more work to understand the staging,” Hazrati told USA TODAY Sports. 
 
 ESPN was the first to report Mirra’s CTE diagnosis. The family said in a statement “leading neuropathologists from the U.S. and abroad unanimously confirmed the diagnosis of CTE.” 
 
 “We would like to thank our family, friends and the overwhelming number of Dave’s fans who have supported us during this difficult time,” Mirra’s wife, Lauren, said in a statement. “We ask for your continued support in honoring Dave’s legacy and for your patience as we plan to create a platform for CTE awareness and research.” 
 
 Greenville, N.C., mayor Allen Thomas, who was also a friend of Mirra's, mentioned at a news conference in February that Mirra — like many action sports stars — absorbed several big hits in his career. He suggested that that Mirra could have suffered from CTE. 
 
 “This is young man that had a pretty had a pretty rugged sports career and took a lot of injuries in his career," Thomas said. "You have to give pause, think and wonder as we hear about brain trauma in football and other sports, whether that played a factor." ||||| Photos: Athletes and CTE BMX star Dave Mirra, who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot on February 4, was found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Scientists believe repeated head trauma can cause CTE, a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. Symptoms include depression, aggression and disorientation, but scientists can definitively diagnose it only after death. Here are a few of the former athletes who have been diagnosed with CTE. Hide Caption 1 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Charles "Bubba" Smith , a two-time Pro Bowl pick and actor who died in 2011, was also diagnosed with CTE. Smith played for the Baltimore Colts, the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Oilers. Hide Caption 2 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill died in November at 63 due to complications from ALS. However, an autopsy confirmed that he suffered from CTE. What makes McNeill's case even more remarkable, though, is that he was potentially the first to be diagnosed while alive. Doctors used an experimental new technology to examine his brain. Hide Caption 3 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE NFL MVP and Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, who died in July, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, researchers at Boston University said. Hide Caption 4 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend before killing himself two years ago. Pathology reports show he probably had CTE. Hide Caption 5 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Hall of Famer Mike Webster was the first former NFL player to be diagnosed with CTE. After his retirement, Webster suffered from amnesia, dementia, depression, and bone and muscle pain. Hide Caption 6 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE The death of 36-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk put the link between football and CTE in the national spotlight. Strzelczyk was killed in 2004 in a car crash after a 40-mile high-speed chase with police in New York. Hide Caption 7 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Evidence of CTE was found in the brain of football player Lew Carpenter after his death in 2010 at the age of 78. Hide Caption 8 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Pro Football Hall of Famer Louis Creekmur, who played for the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1959, suffered decades of cognitive decline before his death. Hide Caption 9 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Linebacker John Grimsley of the Houston Oilers died of an accidental gunshot wound to the chest. Analysis of his brain tissue confirmed damage to the neurofibrillary tangles that had begun to affect his behavior and memory. Hide Caption 10 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Chris Henry played five seasons for the the Cincinnati Bengals before dying at the age of 26. He died after falling from the bed of a moving pickup during a fight with his fiancée, ending a life plagued by behavioral problems. His young age prompted concern over how quickly athletes start to suffer from CTE. Hide Caption 11 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Offensive lineman Terry Long of the Pittsburgh Steelers committed suicide by drinking antifreeze. Although the antifreeze caused swelling of the brain, football-related brain injuries were a contributing factor to his death. Hide Caption 12 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Pro Football Hall of Famer John Mackey suffered from dementia for years before dying at the age of 69. Hide Caption 13 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Ollie Matson, who played 14 NFL seasons starting in the 1950s, suffered from dementia until his death in 2011. Hide Caption 14 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Andre Waters spent most of his 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before his suicide at age 44. Hide Caption 15 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Tom McHale of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, right, died in 2008 of an apparent drug overdose at the age of 45. Hide Caption 16 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Junior Seau took his own life in 2012 at the age of 43. The question of CTE came up immediately after his death; scientists at the National Institutes of Health confirmed the diagnosis in January 2013. Hide Caption 17 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead at his suburban Atlanta home along with his wife, Nancy, and son in an apparent murder-suicide. Testing found that the damage to his brain was similar to that of an elderly Alzheimer's patient. Hide Caption 18 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Reggie Fleming, who played for six NHL teams, mainly in the 1960s, was the first hockey player to be diagnosed with CTE. Hide Caption 19 of 21 
 
 Photos: Athletes and CTE Hockey player Bob Probert was found to have CTE after suffering from heart failure at the age of 45. Hide Caption 20 of 21
– Dave Mirra, the legendary BMX star who killed himself in February, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy—a disease more commonly seen in football players and boxers, ESPN reports. He's believed to be the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with it. "The key is brain injury," says the neuropathologist who diagnosed Mirra. "Regardless of how you get it, through BMX or hockey, you are at risk for this." Mirra suffered numerous concussions throughout his BMX career. He once described a 2006 crash to the Washington Post by saying, “I basically fell 16 feet straight to my head.” “This is a young man that had a pretty rugged sports career and took a lot of injuries," USA Today quotes a friend as saying. Mirra's diagnosis of CTE was confirmed by multiple neuropathologists, though it's unclear what stage the disease was in. Scans of Mirra's brain showed the same tau protein deposits as those in the brains of former football players. CTE, which is only able to be diagnosed after death, can cause depression, dementia, and memory loss. Mirra's wife Lauren says Mirra underwent major mood and personality changes in the year before he killed himself at 41. “We ask for your continued support in honoring Dave’s legacy and for your patience as we plan to create a platform for CTE awareness and research," reads a statement from Lauren, per USA Today. Mirra, who "was the face of his sport," will be inducted into the National BMX Hall of Fame next month. (Also on Tuesday, Bubba Smith was announced as the 90th former NFL player to be diagnosed with CTE.)