MORE OF THE EVALUATION
	Cover letter Overview Overview (cont.) Neurologic component Psychological testing Neuropsychological evaluation

Circumstances of the Evaluation:

This evaluation was requested by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in order to provide medical input regarding Mr. Tyson's request for reinstatement of his boxing license. Pursuant to your letter of September 21, 1998, we have completed an evaluation by a team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists. To the extent possible, we utilized the assessment measures which you requested. Where other measures were used, the reasons for their use will be discussed.

Members of the evaluation team:

The following individuals took direct part in the evaluation.

Thomas Deters, Ph.D, Neuropsychologist, Law and Psychiatry Service Massachusetts General Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
David Henderson, MD, Psychiatrist, Massachusetts General Hospital and Freedom Trail Clinic, Boston, Massachusetts
Barry D. Jordan, MD, Neurologist, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, California
David Medoff, Ph.D, Psychologist, Law and Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Jeremy D. Schmahmann, MD, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Ronald Schouten, MD, JD, Director, Law & Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital

Sources of Information:

The following sources of information were relied upon in conducting this evaluation and in reaching the conclusions contained herein.

Multiple formal interviews with Mr. Tyson over a five-day period, in addition to frequent contact wit Mr. Tyson and opportunities to observe him in the clinical setting over the course of five days. Dr. Schouten's interview time was six hours, Dr. Henderson's 1.5 hours, and Dr. Jordan's one hour. Drs. Deters and Madoff conducted additional clinical interviews as part of the testing.
Neurological evaluation by Drs. Schmahmann and Jordan.
Psychological testing by Dr. Medoff
Neuropsychological testing by Dr. Deters
Telephone conference between Dr. Schouten and Larry Curry, MSW.
Telephone conference between Monica Tyson, MD and Dr. Schouten.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain (MRI)
Laboratory testing including toxic screens (blood and urine)
Review of the exhibits submitted to the Las Vegas Athletic Commission hearing on September 19, 1998
Review of Dr. Goldberg's letter to Attorney Fusco
Review of the following videotapes:
-- Holyfield-Tyson 2
-- New Jersey Athletic Commission hearing on July 29, 1998
-- Nevada Athletic Commission hearing on September 19, 1998

At the initiation of the evaluation, Mr. Tyson was informed that the contents of the evaluation would not be protected by the usual rules of confidentiality. He was further informed that he could refuse to answer any or all questions posed to him. Mr. Tyson expressed a clear understanding of these limitations and agreed to proceed. He indicated his ongoing understanding of these conditions throughout the evaluation process.

Relevant history:

Mr. Tyson is a 32-year-old, African-American, married man. He has four children. Mr. Tyson spent his early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended school. Due to behavioral difficulties he was placed in a school in upstate New York. He reports receiving special education services because of these behavioral problems. At approximately age 12 he was taken into the home of Cus D'Amato and Camille Ewald where he came under Mr. D'Amato's tutelage and trained as a boxer. Mr. Tyson attended Catskill High School but left school after the 10th grade. He studied for the Graduate Equivalency Diploma but failed to pass the examination by a narrow margin.

Mr. Tyson became very close to Mr. D'Amato and Ms. Ewald. The relationship between these individuals and Mr. Tyson has been described by Mr. Tyson and others as a relationship between parents and a child. Mr. D'Amato died in 1985 and Mr. Tyson describes his reaction to Mr. D'Amato's death as that of a child losing a parent. He continues to maintain contact with Ms. Ewald and continues to support her. Mr. Tyson's biological parents are both deceased, as is his sister. He has one brother who lives in California.

Mr. Tyson gave a history of repeated head injuries as a child, including multiple episodes of loss of consciousness as a result of being struck with objects in fights. He denied any loss of consciousness as an adult and particularly denies loss of consciousness while boxing. He has no history of serious illness, surgeries, or seizures. There is no history of headache or other neurological difficulties. He denied current substance abuse, including steroids.

In 1992, Mr. Tyson's successful boxing career was interrupted by a prison sentence of six years. Mr. Tyson was released in three years due to a reduction in sentence for good behavior while incarcerated. Upon release from prison he returned to boxing. His career was once again interrupted on June 28, 1997. On that date, during a bout with Evander Holyfield, Mr. Tyson committed a major foul by biting Mr. Holyfield on the ear. After a two-point deduction, the fight resumed and Mr. Tyson again bit Mr. Holyfield. After the end of the round, Mr. Tyson was disqualified as a result of the second biting.

	Mike Tyson following his psychological evaluation at Massachusetts General Hospital.

As part of the evaluation process, Mr. Tyson was asked about symptoms of depression and other illnesses at the time of the Holyfield fight. He reported that he was experiencing significant depression at the time, in the contest of multiple financial and personal problems. There was no indication that he was suffering symptoms of another psychiatric disorder at the time. He denied using steroids or other substances at the time. Immediately following the fight, Mr. Tyson explained in an interview that he had retaliated for the head-butting because he was concerned about his career being ended by repeated injury from head-butting, feared that he would lose his job and not be able to support his family, and was not being protected by the officials.

When asked about the foul, Mr. Tyson reports that he was very angry because he felt he had been the victim of head-butting from Mr. Holyfield in their previous bout and nothing had been done. His head been cut in that fight, and was cut again in Tyson-Holyfield II. After protesting the head butt and getting no response, Mr. Tyson reported that he felt that this was no longer a prize fight, but had become a street fight. He reported that when that occurred, he simply "snapped" and retaliated against Mr. Holyfield by biting him. While he did not have perfect recall for all the events that occurred during this bout, there was no evidence from Mr. Tyson's account of the incident or from the videotape that the incident occurred during a dissociative state, psychotic episode, or in any other state of loss of awareness. Review of the tape indicates that the initial bite occurred after a few blows from Mr. Holyfield and immediately after another clashing of heads. This had been preceded by at least one head butt.

Mr. Tyson had his license revoked for life by the Nevada Athletic Commission after this incident. It is our understanding that he became eligible to apply for reinstatement after one year. This report is requested in connection with that application for reinstatement.

Since the fight in June 1998, Mr. Tyson has asked Mr. Holyfield to forgive him, and Mr. Holyfield has written in support of Mr. Tyson's reinstatement. Mr. Tyson reported that the biting incident, and loss of his license, has ruined his career and his life. He expressed remorse about the incident, as well as great concern that he will not be able to fulfill his obligation to support his family if he cannot box. Mr. Tyson was adamant that he will never let anything like that happen again.

Mr. Tyson has changed his management team since June 1997. He feels that he was betrayed by members of that team and has has a civil lawsuit pending against them for monetary damages. He noted that "people let me down. People I would have died for."

According to Mr. Tyson, he underwent some psychological evaluation and some counseling as a child. The exact nature of those evaluations is unclear, and the records of the evaluations and any testing he may have had are not available at this time. Mr. Tyson reported that he has felt depressed all of his life. He received a diagnosis of Manic Depressive Illness several years ago and was placed on lithium carbonate, a mood stabilizer. He stated that this slowed him down considerably and that he stopped taking the medication after several doses.

In December of 1997, Mr. Tyson entered treatment with Richard Goldberg, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School. Mr. Tyson saw Dr. Goldberg for seven or eight visits until Mr. Tyson relocated to Denver to begin training. He subsequently contacted Larry Curry, MSW, who is a psychotherapist with expertise in anger management and working with professional athletes. Mr. Tyson has been on an antidepressant medication prescribed by Dr. Goldberg; however, he reported that this has not been particularly helpful to him. He has had discussions with Dr. Goldberg about the possibility of increasing the dosage of this medication. The frequency of meetings between Mr. Tyson and Dr. Goldberg remains uncertain, as Mr. Tyson has relocated to Denver for the present time.

The relationship with Dr. Goldberg appears to be a solid one. Mr. Tyson reported that he derives great benefit from working with Dr. Goldberg and wishes to continue the relationship if at all possible. Mr. Tyson was particularly protective of that relationship and is hesitant to have the content of their discussions revealed in detail. Dr. Goldberg's findings on examination and his impressions of Mr. Tyson are similar to those derived by this evaluation team as outlined below. On September 29, the evaluation team received a copy of Dr. Goldberg's letter of July 21, 1998 to Attorney Fusco in which he indicated that Mr. Tyson suffers from "dysthymic disorder (chronic depression) and issues related to his personality."

Members of the evaluation team reviewed the videotape of the July 27, 1998 New Jersey hearing. We noted that Mr. Tyson maintained excellent behavioral control during the course of the extensive and detailed questioning. He indicated that he did not want to speak any further because he was "angry" and did so in a calm voice. Mr. Tyson did raise his voice plaintively when Attorney Fusco began advocating for him, asking Mr. Fusco if he knew what Mr. Tyson meant. he subsequently used an expletive, wondering out loud what he was expected to do. It was the impression of the evaluation team the Mr. Tyson's behavior at the New Jersey hearing was not indicative of a significant problem with impulse control. In fact, we interpreted it as an example of reasonable control under significant pressure. Similarly, we found Mr. Tyson's behavior during the Nevada hearing on September 19, 1998 to be appropriate and evidence of good control under stress.

Several incidents have occurred over the last months involving Mr. Tyson which have raised concerns about his impulse control and anger management. The evaluation team has reviewed testimony and evidence involving these incidents. The evidence regarding the restaurant incident in Washington, D.C, is consistent with Mr. Tyson's account that while words were exchanged between Mr. Tyson and a young woman in a restaurant, Mr. Tyson did not engage in any form of physical assault towards the individual. A second incident, involving a motor-vehicle accident in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was explained by Mr. Tyson in a manner consistent with his representations to others. No further details of that incident are outlined here in light of the fact that the alleged incident is potentially the subject of an ongoing criminal hearing.

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