Abstract
Does frequent head-to-ball contact cause cognitive dysfunctions and brain injury to soccer players? An iPad-based experiment was designed to examine the impact of ball-heading among high school female soccer players. We examined both direct, stimulus-driven, or reflexive point responses (Pro-Point) as well as indirect, goal-driven, or voluntary point responses (Anti-Point), thought to require cognitive functions in the frontal lobe. The results show that soccer players were significantly slower than controls in the Anti-Point task but displayed no difference in Pro-Point latencies, indicating a disruption specific to voluntary responses. These findings suggest that even subconcussive blows in soccer can result in cognitive function changes that are consistent with mild traumatic brain injury of the frontal lobes. There is great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for quick detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.
Highlights
Concussive brain injuries in head-jarring sports such as American football, hockey, and boxing, where repeated loss of consciousness often occur, could lead to long-term cognitive dysfunctions [1]
The results show that soccer playing in which participants headed the ball did disrupt voluntary performance in female high school soccer players tested immediately following practice
Even in this small sample, this response time slowing on the Anti-Point task was marginally related to number of ball headers (n = 10) and significantly related to hours of soccer per week (n = 12) and years of soccer playing (n = 12)
Summary
Concussive brain injuries in head-jarring sports such as American football, hockey, and boxing, where repeated loss of consciousness often occur, could lead to long-term cognitive dysfunctions [1]. A recent imaging study [5] showed detectable structural differences in brain areas, consistent with traumatic brain injury (TBI), between amateur adult (mean age of 31 yrs, played soccer since childhood) soccer players with self-reported high and low heading frequencies. Similar findings were obtained in another recent imaging study [6] which found differences in white matter integrity in a small sample of professional male soccer players (mean age of yrs, who played soccer since childhood) compared with a control group of swimmers (mean age of yrs). Previous imaging studies have failed to find structural brain differences directly related to heading balls [7,8,9,10]. Previous studies using formal cognitive testing have failed to detect changes with ball heading in young adults [11] or in 13- to 16-year-old soccer players
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
