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In September 1999, a group of Dutch researchers suggested in the Journal of the American Medical Association, based on a study of 33 soccer players and 27 control subjects, that participation in amateur soccer may be associated with mild chronic traumatic brain injury. Soccer players were found to have diminished ability on tests of memory and planning when compared to those who did not play soccer.

Studies by researchers at Florida Tech in 2003 suggested that heading in soccer may result in the short term in weaker mental performance, including a decline in cognitive function, difficulty in verbal learning, planning and maintaining attention and reduced information processing speed. The long-term effects are less clear. One study found that lifetime heading had "no significant or strong effect ... on neuropsychological performance." But the other reached a different conclusion, noting "players with the highest lifetime estimates of heading had poorer scores on scales measuring attention, concentration, cognitive flexibility and general intellectual functioning."

No definitive conclusions can be drawn from these studies because of the small number of test subjects and the variables involved (such as the type of ball-head contact, speed of the ball, etc.). Other studies have found no link between heading and brain injuries.

However flawed the studies may be, experts, like Dr. Lyle Micheli of Boston's Children's Hospital and a nationally recognized authority on children and sports medicine, are concerned. "Until further studies clarify the risks, there should be a yellow warning signal going out," says Michelli.

Until then, Michelli and others recommend that the following safety precautions be taken:

• Delay teaching soccer players how to head a soccer ball until age 12, when coordination and neck strength have been developed sufficiently to learn proper heading technique

• Educate players, coaches, parents, referees, and health professionals about the injury potential

• Strictly enforce rules on the distance of players from the ball on restarts (such as free kicks)

• Use balls of the size and weight appropriate for the players' age

• Consider the possibility of concussions

Please share your questions, comments and stories with us. All information is kept confidential. Please send an email to editors@momsteam.com

Article updated and reviewed August 1, 2007

	Reprint Policy Return to Head Injury Home Page

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