(Technology Networks) – A brain imaging technique developed by Columbia researchers has identified areas in the brain’s cerebral cortex—just behind the forehead—that are most damaged by the repetitive impacts from heading a soccer ball.
Their study also found that the damage leads to cognitive deficits seen in soccer players who head the ball frequently. The study, published Sept. 18 in JAMA Network Open, was conducted in amateur adult soccer players from New York City.
“What’s important about our study is that it shows, really for the first time, that exposure to repeated head impacts causes specific changes in the brain that, in turn, impair cognitive function,” says study leader Michael Lipton, MD, PhD, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. CONTINUE