History Of Heading In Soccer Impairs Cognition But Not Cerebral Perfusion In Young Amateur Players

Christopher Marley, Thomas Owens, Hayato Tsukamoto, Trevor Harris, Ryan Cutting, Adam Jones, Damian Bailey

Research output: Contribution to journalConference or Meeting Abstractpeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Heading the ball in soccer has been linked to impaired cognition and may increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease. This may be explained by an accelerated decline in cerebral perfusion, a major risk factor for cognitive impairment, stroke and dementia, for reasons that remain unclear. 
Purpose: To determine if a history of recurrent heading of a football predisposes to cerebral hypoperfusion and cognitive impairment. 
Methods: Twenty-nine amateur male soccer players (age: 28 + 6 yrs) with a playing history of 15 + 6 yrs and a self-reported heading frequency of 9 + 4 balls per game were recruited for the study. They were compared to 32 age and fitness-matched controls who had not participated in contact sports with no history of concussion. All participants completed a battery of psychometric tests that assessed learning and memory (Rey-Auditory Verbal Learning Test), working memory (Repetition of Digits Backwards; Trail Making Test B) and attention and information processing (Repetition of Digits Forwards; Trail Making Test A; Digit Symbol Substitution Test). A sample of the soccer players (n = 13) and controls (n = 22) also completed a cerebrovascular screening whereby middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were assessed using transcranial Doppler ultrasound and finger photoplethysmography, respectively. Cerebrovascular conductance/resistance were calculated as MCAv/MAP and MAP/MCAv. 
Results: Soccer players were characterized by impaired learning and memory, and attention and information processing compared to controls (P < 0.05; Table 1). However, no between group differences were observed in MCAv, CVC or CVR between groups (P > 0.05; Table 1). 
Conclusion: Heading the ball in soccer is associated with impaired cognition that appears to be independent of cerebral hypoperfusion.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberBoard #187
Pages (from-to)S479
JournalMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Volume52
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 2020

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