Thirty-seven former football players of the Norwegian national team underwent a neurological and electroencephalographic (EEG) examination to investigate the incidence of head injuries due to heading the ball. Sixteen players complained of protracted and permanent symptoms commonly attributed to the post-concussional syndrome: headache, irritability, dizziness, lack of concentration and impaired memory. A significantly increased incidence of EEG abnormalities was found in players compared with matched controls. The high incidence of EEG changes is probably the result of a cumulative effect due to repeated head traumas.
In 1975 the authors sent a questionnaire to all players in the Norwegian First Division League Clubs to record the incidence of head injuries due to heading. The conclusion of the questionnaire is that there seems to be a low percentage of serious head injuries. None of the players had been operated on for epi-or subdural hematoma or other brain damage and only a few have had concussion due to heading. In sixty per cent of the players a full neurological examination and EEG recording was undertaken. The result of these studies will be published in a subsequent article.
SYNOPSIS
The prophylactic effect of the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin given chronically in patients with mixed migrainous and tension headache, has been investigated in a double‐blind cross‐over trial. Twenty‐three patients without serious medical, neurological or psychiatric diseases were included. They were given a course of 9 weeks of doxepin 100 mg daily and doxepin placebo each. Between the two courses a placebo period of 2 weeks was interposed. Only 14 patients completed the trial. The results showed no significant difference in number of headache days on doxepin in comparison to placebo, but on doxepin there was a significant reduction in terms of headache indices, and of the consumption of analgesics and ergotamine preparations. Ten of the 14 patients experienced side effects on doxepin (weight increase, drowsiness, dryness of the mouth).
Forty-three former players for the National Football Team of Norway were examined clinically and radiologically for degenerative changes in the cervical spine. Compared with men of the same age groups the onset of degeneration was 10-20 years earlier and the frequency of degeneration was significantly higher. Degenerative changes were not especially high in "headers", but this group had a higher frequency of subjective complaints and clinical findings such as reduced cervical movements.
Sixty-nine football players from six Norwegian First Division League Clubs underwent a neurologic and EEG examination to investigate the incidence of head injuries. A significantly increased incidence of EEG disturbances were found in the football players compared to matched controls. The disturbances were most pronounced among the youngest players. The higher incidence of EEG disturbances found in the football players is most likely due to neuronal damage caused by repeated minor head traumas.
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