For the last few weeks all eyes have been on the World Cup and the premier soccer players who grace the field. A new study of former elite soccer players has given researchers some insight into brain health and player-reported neurological symptoms during mid-life as compared to the general population of people who haven’t had a history of repeated head impacts, according to the first and largest study of its kind in retired professional soccer players presented at a recent Alzheimer's Association Conference in London. 

The research showed that former players reported higher levels of depression, anxiety and difficulties with thinking and decision-making, the study said. In addition, researchers found brain differences. 

“The key points in this research reinforced some points that the medical community’s been aware of that head impacts, head injuries and just repeated head impacts in sports, football, wrestling, boxing and even soccer can have some risk for future cognitive health,” said Jim Herlihy| Marketing & Communications Multiple Market Lead | Alzheimer’s Association Southwest & Rocky Mountain Region. “I think it’s important to be aware of that. I think this research is reinforcing that message that we can’t take for granted that these types of sports with head impact don’t come with some cautions that people should be aware of.” 

This is an initial study, said Herlihy. “So they’re looking now for more long-term implications and then hopefully if the research takes a logical direction that it would then begin to look more at people who are just involved on a recreational basis to see if there is any risk to the general public who are participating in this sport in a much less regimented way.” 

Currently in some areas, young soccer players are not allowed to head the ball until they are older. “I’m a non-doctor, non-reseacher but I think there are some precautions that people can take with children knowing that their brains are evolving and their bodies are evolving that it makes more sense to (delay heading the ball) until there’s more knowledge about the subject,” Herlihy said.

There’s been research that’s been done that shows a connection between head injuries and dementia risk, he said. “We’ve seen it in football and it’s certainly been documented in boxing and other sports. I think the research community is looking for ways to now expand upon that, to look at other sports where there may be head contact.” 

That might be less prevalent in tennis or baseball versus something like soccer, said Herlihy. “Especially as professionals who are doing it in practice every day and they’re doing it on game day so they’re exposed to a much more consistent form of head contact.”

Herlihy said from the association’s point of view, they don’t conduct the research but they do underwrite it. “We’re the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research. So we look for areas where we can identify potential risk for people and then from there once that is perhaps confirmed and proven through more extensive research, that could lead to recommendations that could at some point mirror what is said about children and use – head butting a ball as we've seen in football both as professional and at a collegiate level. That has led to changes in equipment to help reduce the risk of head injuries.”

“Research like this helps us better understand brain health factors across the lifespan and reinforces the importance of injury prevention and monitoring,” said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer and medical affairs lead. “These findings can help players, physicians and sports organizations better understand the risks of contact sports and how to participate safely.”