OAKLAND — Neurologists are expected to soon examine whether former NFL running back Doug Martin — who died in Oakland police custody over the weekend after an alleged home break-in — suffered from a degenerative brain disease found in a growing number of professional athletes.

Martin’s brain is being preserved for tests to determine whether he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, authorities confirmed to this news organization on Tuesday. The condition, which can cause erratic behavior and severe mental illness, is associated with repeated head trauma and has been found in hundreds of former NFL players in recent years.

The former All-Pro running back died Saturday morning after being confronted by police inside an Oakland hills home, near his family’s residence. Autho

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