New Delhi: It might be fascinating for viewers to watch a footballer head the ball but constant heading can increase the risk of dementia, says a study.
A study suggested that evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a potential cause of dementia, has been found in the brains of former association football (soccer) players.
Examined at the UCL Queen Square Brain Bank, the study was published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica.It looked at 14 retired footballers with dementia, who were referred to the Old Age Psychiatry Service in Swansea, Wales, between 1980 and 2010.
Permission from their next-of-kin was provided to perform post-mortem examinations, which were carried out in six ex-players.
Post-mortem analysis of the brain was carried out by researchers from UCL and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
The team identified CTE pathology in four of the six brains examined, and all six also had signs of Alzheimer`s disease.
The rate of CTE identified in the footballers` brains exceeds the 12 percent average background rate of CTE found in a previous survey of 268 brains of an unselected population at the Queen Square Brain Bank.
Like Alzheimer`s disease, CTE can cause dementia and they are both characterised by a build-up of abnormal tau protein in the brain, but CTE causes tau to accumulate in a distinctive pattern.
Previous studies have found evidence of CTE in the brains of contact sports players, most notably boxers and American football players.
Footballers are exposed to repetitive blows to the head from heading the ball and from head-to-player collisions.
However, football is unique compared with boxing and American football in that blows to the head are commonly more minor and footballers are less likely to experience significant neurological symptoms or loss of consciousness.
(With ANI inputs)
