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A new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) suggests that repeated soccer heading may cause more damage to the brain than previously understood. The findings raise significant concerns about the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts in the sport.
Heading, a common soccer technique where players direct the ball using their head, has been linked in recent years to neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
This new research builds on prior studies, suggesting that even impacts not severe enough to cause concussions can result in structural brain abnormalities. Study senior author Michael L. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said:
“The potential effects of repeated head impacts in sport are much more extensive than previously known and affect locations similar to where we’ve seen CTE pathology. This raises concern for delayed adverse effects of head impacts.”
Using advanced diffusion MRI imaging, researchers compared brain scans of 352 amateur soccer players aged 18 to 53 to those of 77 non-contact sport athletes, such as runners. Soccer players who frequently headed the ball exhibited abnormalities in the brain’s white matter near sulci—deep grooves on the brain’s surface. These abnormalities, primarily in the frontal lobe, were associated with reduced verbal learning ability.
“White matter abnormalities represent a mechanism by which heading leads to worse cognitive performance.”
Most study participants had never experienced concussions, indicating that even mild repetitive impacts may harm the brain. Researchers stress the importance of understanding these risks to promote safer practices in soccer and other contact sports.
Lipton emphasized the need to balance the benefits of sports with minimizing potential long-term harm to brain health.
“The next phase of the study examines potential protective factors."
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