A recent study has found that consistently heading a soccer ball over just two years can result in a decrease in memory and thinking abilities. Prior research has indicated that such repetitive impacts can impair brain function and heighten the risk of a particular form of dementia.
Previous research on the impact of heading soccer balls on the brain has typically focused on single-time-point effects, without longitudinal follow-up. The new study, however, tracked changes in the brains of 148 amateur soccer players over a two-year period. It employed brain scans and assessed memory and learning through tests conducted at the start and again two years later.