Heading football may cause brain damage: US study
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LONDON (AFP) - Heading the ball may increase the risk of brain damage to football players, new research has indicated.
The US study, which concentrated on schoolgirl footballers, revealed evidence of mental impairment cause by repeatedly heading the ball, with scientists saying the effects suggest "mild traumatic brain injury of the frontal lobes".
However, they stressed more research was required to determine whether the changes were permanent or temporary. The study featured a group of 12 teenage female footballers and a matching group of non-players.
Both groups were given a computer screen response test designed to assess levels of mental alertness. The participants had to react to the random appearance of a white square by touching a point on the opposite side of the screen, with their performance measured by the speed of their response.
