'Heading' a soccer ball could lead to brain injury

Radiological Society of North America ^ | November 29, 2011

[decimon]

CHICAGO – Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study the effects of soccer 'heading,' researchers have found that players who head the ball with high frequency have brain abnormalities similar to those found in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Results of their study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Heading, in which players field the soccer ball with their head, is an essential part of the game and the focus of many training drills.

"Heading a soccer ball is not an impact of a magnitude that will lacerate nerve fibers in the brain," said Michael L. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and medical director of MRI services at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "But repetitive heading could set off a cascade of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells."

DTI, an advanced magnetic resonance (MR) technique, allows researchers to assess microscopic changes in the brain's white matter, which is composed of millions of nerve fibers called axons that act like communication cables connecting various regions of the brain. DTI produces a measurement, called fractional anisotropy (FA), of the movement of water molecules along axons. In healthy white matter, the direction of water movement is fairly uniform and measures high in FA. When water movement is more random, FA values decrease.

"Abnormally low FA within white matter has been associated with cognitive impairment in patients with TBI," Dr. Lipton said.

[EscapedDutch]

'nuf said...

[momtothree]

I’m happy with him playing the line. No... I wouldn’t be happy at all if he had wanted to be a running back. I understand what you are saying about the knees... believe me. That is why we sought out a trainer that is building up his ham strings, shoulders... and pretty much everything else. I am going to ask him about the pads when he gets home. He wears smaller ones and he told me it was for a reason (I am thinking the bulky ones get in the way of pushing but I will check and make sure). He has discussed Rugby; however, it isn’t offered at his school (not sure why?) I hope your knees feel better. Arthritis is not a fun thing... I am sure.

[cowtowney]

“men wearing helmets, tights and tight tops to ride a bicycle is laughable and pathetic “

Ever fall off a bike doing 24mph?

[manc]

LOL Fell off and done a few turns but one would think today that we're lucky we ever survived as boys if you hear those girlie and liberal men. Hell we did wheelies, tricks on stairs,l took the bumps, bruises but like hell did we ever think we need to be turned into pansies and wear helmets. What's next for the pansy man , knee pads and shoulder pads

[Bikkuri]

Either way.. sad, isn’t it? :p

[Bikkuri]

Tis is the one　I was talking about ;）

[Bikkuri]

[Bikkuri]

Glad to help cheer you :) May check on that rib though ;)

[EscapedDutch]

My gay friends liked it as much as you did ;-)

[Bikkuri]

lol

:)

[montyspython]

OK, so let's just let all the little sissy mommy boys quit participating in:

1. Soccer
2. Football
3. Baseball
4. Hockey
5. Boxing
6. Martial Arts
7. Wrestling
8. ...

Participating in ANY sport can be dangerous and cause injury, this is simply just more PC claptrap so we can continue to wussify America...