In just two years of practicing “heading” in football, the brains of amateur players would be altered structurally and functionally. This is the conclusion of two studies presented this week in Chicago at the RSNA meeting (Radiological Society of North America). Worse results at the professional level?
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Mass headers in football put players at risk of brain damage and dementia. How proven is this risk and how does it affect the brain?
Previous research has examined the harmful effects on the brain associated with playing football at any given time. Two new studies presented this week at the RSNA annual meeting (Radiological Society of North America) were interested in brain changes that occurred over a two-year period, both in terms of brain microstructure and function.
Changes similar to those seen in mild traumatic brain injury
For the first study, researchers followed 148 young amateur footballers (27 years old on average, 26% women). As there was no method to assess the number of head impacts for the player, the research team developed one. The questions focused on how often an individual plays, practices, and plays header, and in what type of situation. The players were then divided into three categories according to their head game practice: low, moderate or high (more than 1,500 “heads” in two years!). Participants also underwent “diffusion tensor imaging,” a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, at the start of the study and two years later. This scanner makes it possible to follow the microscopic movement of water molecules in the brain in order to evaluate changes in its microstructure.
“ Our analysis revealed for the first time that high levels of head exposure over a two-year period were associated with changes in brain microstructure, similar to those observed in mild traumatic brain injury »said the study’s lead author, Michael L. Lipton, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering.
The integrity of the gray matter-white matter interface under threat
For the second study, the researchers used the same type of imaging to verify the link between repeated head impacts in footballers and verbal learning performance. They focused on the interface between gray matter and white matter of the brain, the alteration of which harms the transmission of neuronal information and therefore cognitive faculties. This time, scientists asked 353 amateur football players aged 18 to 53 for header frequencies over the previous 12 months.
The researchers found that the interface between gray matter and white matter – normally sharp – became fuzzier, in proportion to exposure to repeated head impacts. At the same time, the participants were subjected to memorization and verbal learning tests. For those with high head game practice, researchers observed a decline in cognitive performance. “ Integrity of the gray matter-white matter interface may play a causal role in the negative association between repetitive head impacts and cognitive performancesaid Dr. Lipton. There is a need for larger longitudinal studies in diverse cohorts to determine the potential for longer-term adverse microstructural and functional change to better guide interventions and policies. »
