Football and Dementia: Understanding the Link

Abstract

Football, also known as soccer or association football, is popular but has a potential link with dementia developing in retired players. The FA and soccer regulators in the USA have imposed guidelines limiting players exposure to heading, despite controversy whether this dementia is caused by heading the ball, a form of mild repetitive head injury (RHI), over many years. Substantial data exist showing that many ex-North American Football players develop a specific neurodegenerative disease: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neuropathological disorder of boxers. In the United Kingdom evidence for the neuropathological basis of footballers' dementia has been slow to emerge. A 2017 study revealed that in six ex-soccer players four had CTE with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and two had AD. A 2019 study showed that ex-footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die from dementia or other neuro-degenerative diseases than matched controls. We argue that in childhood and adolescence the brain is vulnerable to heading, predicated on its disproportionate size and developmental immaturity. RHI in young individuals is associated with early neuroinflammation, a potential trigger for promoting neurodegeneration in later life. Evidence is available to support the guidelines limiting heading for players of all ages, while professional and non-players should be included in prospective studies to investigate the link between soccer and dementia.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Soccer Players: Review of 14 Cases

“…In childhood and adolescence, the brain probably is more vulnerable to heading, because of its relative large size and immaturity/developmental phase. 124,125 Although the number of headers in youth soccer is very low, 126,127 the US Soccer Federation eliminated heading for youth players younger than 10 years and limited the practice of heading for children ages 11 to 13 years, see Table 3. 128 After this age, young players should be taught proper heading technique.…”

Análise por ressonância magnética funcional em repouso em jogadores de futebol aposentados com longa exposição a traumatismos cranioencefálicos leves

“…Desde então, tem sido estudado e bem estabelecido em esportes de alto impacto, como boxe, futebol americano e hóquei (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). O futebol ainda é um campo de controvérsia (19), com alguns estudos de caso demonstrando a patologia, e outros focando em alterações clínicas (20)(21)(22)(23).…”