Heading in football linked to brain damage, study warns
Playing football, specifically, the technique of passing and receiving with the head, known as heading, may cause more significant brain damage than previously understood, as reported by American scientists. They studied football players who had not experienced concussions or strokes. The results clearly indicate disorders.
Playing football, specifically the technique of passing and receiving with the head, termed as heading, may cause more significant brain damage than previously understood – was revealed at the Radiological Society of North America conference. The Polish Press Agency reports the details.
"Heading" is a widely used technique by football players. In recent years, more studies suggest a link between it and neurodegenerative diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Many goals scored this way have gone down in history, with Robert Lewandowski, Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and many other remarkable figures achieving such feats.
Repeated head impacts in sports may have far-reaching effects beyond what was once understood. Dr. Michael Lipton, a researcher from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York and co-author of the study, highlighted concerns about the long-term consequences of such activities, according to the Polish Press Agency.
To determine how repeated head impacts affect the brain, scientists compared MRI scans of the brains of 352 amateur football players aged 18 to 53 with MRI images of 77 athletes engaged in non-collision sports, such as runners. They observed that football players who used the heading technique had abnormalities in the brain's white matter, particularly in the frontal lobe, which was associated with poorer outcomes in verbal learning.
Dr. Lipton explained that their analysis identified disruptions in white matter as the key factor behind the decline in cognitive function. Notably, most participants in the study had no history of concussions or diagnosed brain injuries. This indicates that even minor, repeated head impacts, without causing significant injuries, can negatively affect the brain and influence future cognitive abilities.
Scientists believe their research results can be applied to other contact sports with repeated, even very minor, head injuries. According to Dr. Lipton, identifying the risk may contribute to increasing the safety of athletes. The next phase of research is underway. Scientists will investigate protective factors that could mitigate the negative effects of heading.
