Heading in soccer can cause more brain damage than previously thought, according to new research.
Researchers from the Radiological Society of North America investigated the link between headbutting the ball, a common soccer activity, and neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
of research found Soccer players who headed the ball at higher levels showed abnormalities in their brain's white matter, an area of the brain where abnormalities indicate severe traumatic brain injury.
Researchers said most of the damage was found in the frontal lobes of the brain. It's the lower part of the skull that soccer players are taught to use when heading the ball.
“The potential effects of repeated impacts to the head during sports are much more widespread than previously known, affecting areas similar to those where we observed CTE pathology.” said Dr. Michelle Lipton, lead author of the study and professor of radiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In New York.
The study claims that noggin knockers cause damage to the white matter near the sulcus, a groove in the brain's cerebral cortex.
“Our analysis showed that white matter abnormalities represent a mechanism by which orientation leads to cognitive decline,” Dr. Lipton said.
“The abnormalities occur in the areas most characteristic of CTE, are associated with a reduced ability to learn cognitive tasks, and may impact future functioning,” Lipton said in the study. .
Most of the more than 400 volunteer amateur soccer players and other athletes used in the study had never suffered a concussion or been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.
Researchers say that even if head baps don't cause immediate trauma, they can have long-term effects on the brain.
Previous studies have confirmed that heading causes damage to the white matter of soccer players' brains.
This new study utilized an approach using diffusion MRI technology to analyze the microstructure near the surface of the brain and draw new conclusions.
