Is Heading a Soccer Ball Injurious to Brain Function?

Baroff, George S.

doi:10.1097/00001199-199804000-00007

Cited by 34 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…A number of (Broglio et al, 2004;Mangus et al, 2004;Putukian et al, 2000;Schmitt et al, 2004) examining the effects of heading on balance (postural sway) reported no changes from pre-to posttesting, which contrasts with findings reported by Tysvaer and colleagues (1989Tysvaer and colleagues ( , 1991Tysvaer and colleagues ( , 1992 and Matser et al (1999). Several researchers attributed the deficits reported in previous research to acute head trauma or a combination of acute head trauma and long-term intentional heading (Baroff, 1998;Green & Jordan, 1998;Jordan et al, 1996). The current study excluded participants with a recent history (within the previous year) of mild head injury.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Examining the Relationship Between Purposeful Heading in Soccer and Computerized Neuropsychological Test Performance

Kaminski

Cousino

Glutting

2008

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport

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The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between purposeful heading in soccer and neuropsychological test performance. Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics throughput scores were derived on seven subset variables that measure a variety of neurocognitive abilities. Simple Spearman's rank correlations were calculated between headers per game (HPG) and the criterion variables. Interestingly, math processing speed (Spearman's rho = .160) and continuous performance test #2 (rho = .124) had small but significant correlations; both showed improvement in performance pre- to postseason. There were no significant correlations between HPG and the other five variables. This study found no detrimental relationship between the number of purposeful headers and the neurocognitive measures in this population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Examining the Relationship Between Purposeful Heading in Soccer and Computerized Neuropsychological Test Performance

Kaminski

Cousino

Glutting

2008

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport

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“…Studies have coupled heading the ball to neurocognitive impairment in amateur and professional soccer players (14,57,82,83,127,128). Witol and Webbe (136) demonstrated that players with the highest exposure rates to heading had significantly poorer performance on neurocognitive tests designed to measure attention, concentration, and other aspects of cognition.…”

Section: Heading and Concussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some investigators have attributed this to various confounding factors such as the use of heavier soccer balls or selection bias of control groups (9,50,66,88,100). Additional methodologic flaws have been noted, such as failure to control for aging, prior head trauma, and alcohol intake (14,65,67,105).…”

Section: Heading and Concussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concussions in Soccer: A Current Understanding

et al. 2012

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“…10 This was not the first time the safety of heading has been called into question. [11][12][13] Prior studies 4,6,14 have reported that heading is responsible for 31% to 37% of youth soccer-related concussions. Studies have measured heading-related accelerations and forces [15][16][17] and have implicated soccer heading as a cause of neurocognitive, neuropsychological, or postural control impairments.…”

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confidence: 99%

An Evidence-Based Discussion of Heading the Ball and Concussions in High School Soccer

et al. 2015

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IMPORTANCE Soccer, originally introduced as a safer sport for children and adolescents, has seen a rapid increase in popularity in the United States over the past 3 decades. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding the safety of soccer ball heading (when an athlete attempts to play the ball in the air with his or her head) given the rise in concussion rates, with some calling for a ban on heading among soccer players younger than 14 years. OBJECTIVES To evaluate trends over time in boys' and girls' soccer concussions, to identify injury mechanisms commonly leading to concussions, to delineate soccer-specific activities during which most concussions occur, to detail heading-related soccer concussion mechanisms, and to compare concussion symptom patterns by injury mechanism. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective analysis of longitudinal surveillance data collected from 2005-2006 through 2013-2014 in a large, nationally representative sample of US high schools. Participants were boys and girls who were high school soccer players. EXPOSURES Concussions sustained during high school-sanctioned soccer games and practices. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mechanism and sport-specific activity of concussion.RESULTS Overall, 627 concussions were sustained during 1 393 753 athlete exposures (AEs) among girls (4.50 concussions per 10 000 AEs), and 442 concussions were sustained during 1 592 238 AEs among boys (2.78 concussions per 10 000 AEs). For boys (68.8%) and girls (51.3%), contact with another player was the most common concussion mechanism. Heading was the most common soccer-specific activity, responsible for 30.6% of boys' concussions and 25.3% of girls' concussions. Contact with another player was the most common mechanism of injury in heading-related concussions among boys (78.1%) and girls (61.9%). There were few differences in concussion symptom patterns by injury mechanism. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEAlthough heading is the most common activity associated with concussions, the most frequent mechanism was athlete-athlete contact. Such information is needed to drive evidence-based, targeted prevention efforts to effectively reduce soccer-related concussions. Although banning heading from youth soccer would likely prevent some concussions, reducing athlete-athlete contact across all phases of play would likely be a more effective way to prevent concussions as well as other injuries.

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Is Heading a Soccer Ball Injurious to Brain Function?

Cited by 34 publications

References 0 publications

Examining the Relationship Between Purposeful Heading in Soccer and Computerized Neuropsychological Test Performance

Examining the Relationship Between Purposeful Heading in Soccer and Computerized Neuropsychological Test Performance

Concussions in Soccer: A Current Understanding

An Evidence-Based Discussion of Heading the Ball and Concussions in High School Soccer

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