Constant heading in football leads to memory issues: study

Researchers have identified that heading a football can cause significant changes in brain function for a short period of time, according to a study released Monday by the University of Stirling.

In this study, the team led by researchers from the University of Stirling, explored direct changes in the brain after players are exposed to everyday head impacts.

The team asked a group of football players to head a ball 20 times, which was fired from a machine. They tested the brain function and memory of these players before and after the heading sessions.

They found that memory test performance of the players was reduced by between 41 and 67 percent, though the effects would normalize within 24 hours.

"Using a drill most amateur and professional teams would be familiar with, we found there was in fact increased inhibition in the brain immediately after heading and that performance on memory tests was reduced significantly," said one of the study authors, Dr. Magdalena Ietswaart.

Although the changes were temporary, "we believe they are significant to brain health, particularly if they happen over and over again as they do in football heading. With large numbers of people around the world participating in this sport, it is important that they are aware of what is happening inside the brain and the lasting effect this may have," she added. Endit