Football players have a higher risk of developing brain health problems after the age of 65 than the rest of the population, according to a study published this Friday (8) in the United Kingdom.
The SCORES study, led by researchers from the University of East Anglia (Eastern England), relies on tests carried out over the Internet to remotely assess cognitive functions and monitor the evolution of the brain.
About 145 former professional players participated in the study. Fifty-five of them are over 65 years old.
According to the study’s conclusions, former soccer players between 40 and 50 years old show better results than the general population, but the trend is reversed with age.
“It’s when they reach age 65 that things start to degrade,” commented Dr. Michael Grey, who heads the SCORES study.
“Football players aged over 65 have the worst results in areas such as reaction time, executive functions (which make it possible, above all, to manage and control non-routine situations or carry out several actions at the same time, ndlr) or spatialization. These are clearly signs precursors to a decline in brain health,” he added.
This new study supports the findings of research carried out by the University of Glasgow, which revealed that former footballers were three and a half times more likely than the general population to die from a neurodegenerative disease such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson.
Research of this kind has raised awareness of the impact of sports on brain health and has led to calls for better protection of football players.
The SCORES study will continue in the coming years and will expand with a larger sample.
“It will give us a very clear picture of the potential damage caused by heading the ball,” explained Dr. Grey. He will also try to collect data on football players.
The family of Nobby Stiles, world football champion in 1966 with England and who died in 2020 from dementia, announced last month that they were considering suing the English FA, accusing it of not having sufficiently protected the players. against the risk of brain damage.
Other sports question their health consequences, such as boxing, but also, more recently, rugby and American football.
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