A new study revealed that the brain health of professional soccer players worsens following reaching the age of 65, in greater proportions than the general population.
The new study, which compared the brain health of 75 soccer players of different age groups with non-practitioners of this sport, showed that the players’ brains suffered damage as they advanced in age, due to vertical strikes.
And the new study found that the performance and evaluations of former soccer players declined in a group of tests, such as reflexes, and the brain’s response to some functions, in addition to recording cognitive impairment.
A field study conducted in 2019 had previously linked increased rates of death due to dementia and football practice.
Dr Michael Gray, from the University of East Anglia’s School of Health Sciences, said: “We know that heading the ball has been associated with an increased risk of dementia among professional footballers. But until now, little was known regarding when signs of declining health appear. The brain is in the ranks of the former players.”
“We used state-of-the-art technology to test for early symptoms of these problems that appear to be identifiable long before they occur,” the study’s lead researcher continued.
According to the networkCNNThis is the first time this type of research has been done, and the results will be used to track the brain health of the participants over the next few years.
Three years ago, a study by Professor Willie Stewart and researchers at the University of Glasgow found that former professional footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of dementia.
That study drew on death records in Scotland, while the newer study tracks brain changes among living former footballers.
Gray said: “In the age group from 40 to 50 years, the performance of football players in the completed tests was slightly better than the normal group, but following reaching the older age groups, things start to deteriorate.”
He explained that this study highlights that playing football is good for the brain, but the negative effects of hitting the ball with the head begin to appear later in life.