Repetitive tendency may increase risk of cognitive decline in later life – FA study

July 17 (Reuters) – Researchers have found evidence to suggest that repeatedly throwing balls during a professional football career is associated with a greater risk of cognitive decline later in life, according to a study commissioned by the FA.

The independent research, jointly commissioned by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), was carried out by the University of Nottingham and spoke to over 450 retired professional footballers aged over 45.

“Former professional footballers who took part in the study were asked to recall the number of times they headed the ball in a typical match and a typical training session; 0-5, 6-15 and more than 15 times,” it said.

“… those who remembered that they typically headed the ball 6-15 times in a match were found to be 2.71 times more likely to be below the test threshold on the cognitive state assessment than … (soccer players) who typically headed the ball 0-5 times .”

According to the study, former players who finished the ball more than 15 times in a match were even more likely to score below the test threshold.

However, the researchers acknowledged that the method had several limitations and that further research is needed.

The first results of the study, published in June, showed that former soccer players were 3.46 times more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases.

In April, a group of ex-football and rugby players with neurological injuries brought the total number of plaintiffs to 380 when they joined a class action against governing bodies.

The players claim that the sport’s governing bodies failed to protect them from concussions and non-concussions that caused a variety of disorders, including early-onset dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease.

The FA has sought to mitigate the potential health risks and dementia and last year gave permission for a trial to remove the deliberate header from under-12s matches.

“This study is a new step in understanding the potential link between neurodegenerative diseases and former professional footballers,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said.

“… As we strive to better understand medical research, we will continue to take a leading role as the governing body in assessing the safety of our game and addressing any potential risk factors associated with football.”

Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge

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