A study published in the United Kingdom showed that football players are more likely to develop brain health problems after the age of 65 than the rest of the population.
The SCORES study, led by researchers from the University of East Anglia (East of England), relies on online tests to remotely assess cognitive functions and monitor brain development.
About 145 former professional soccer players participated in the study. Fifty-five of them are over the age of 65.
According to the study’s conclusions, former soccer players between the ages of 40 and 50 have better results than the general population, but the trend reverses with age.
“Things start to get worse around age 65,” said Dr. Michael Gray, who led the SCORES study.
“(Football players) over the age of 65 have the worst results in areas such as reaction time, executive functions (which particularly allow for managing and controlling non-routine situations or performing many actions at the same time, ndlr) or positioning. They are clearly precursor signs of declining brain health.”
This new study goes in the same direction as the findings of the University of Glasgow investigation which revealed that former footballers had a three-and-a-half times greater risk of dying than the general population from a neurodegenerative disease such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease. .
This type of research has raised awareness of the impact of sports practices on brain health and led to calls for better protection for soccer players.
The SCORES study will continue in the coming years, and it will grow in breadth with a larger sample.
“It will give us a very clear picture of the potential damage caused by a heading ball,” explained Dr Gray. It will also try to collect data on soccer players.
The family of Nobby Stills, the 1966 world football champion with England who died in 2020 of dementia, announced last month that he was considering suing the FA, accusing him of not adequately protecting players against the risk of brain injury. infection.
Other sports question their consequences for health, such as boxing, but also more recently rugby.
With information from Agence France-Presse
Photo: AFP
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