Heading Football and Head Impacts 'Change Blood Patterns in Brain' (theguardian.com) 20
Repeated heading and accidental head impacts in football cause changes to blood patterns in the brain, potentially interfering with signalling pathways, according to a study of players in Norway. From a report: The peer-reviewed research, published in the Brain Injury journal, is the latest item in a growing body of evidence pointing to the dangers of heading. It discovered "specific alterations" in levels of microRNAs in the brain upon analysing blood samples from 89 professional players in the country's top flight.
MicroRNAs are molecules that help to regulate gene expression, through which DNA instructions are converted into products such as proteins, in bodily fluids. The findings suggest that, given the change in levels, they may be able to be used as biomarkers to detect brain injury. Blood samples were taken from players after accidental head impacts in matches and after specifically designed training sessions. Forty-eight of the players, drawn from three teams, took part in a session that included repetitive heading drills from set pieces and similar scenarios; they also undertook one that involved other high-intensity exercise, with no head contact allowed. The results found specific changes in certain microRNA levels whose numbers were unaffected by the other high-intensity exercise.
MicroRNAs are molecules that help to regulate gene expression, through which DNA instructions are converted into products such as proteins, in bodily fluids. The findings suggest that, given the change in levels, they may be able to be used as biomarkers to detect brain injury. Blood samples were taken from players after accidental head impacts in matches and after specifically designed training sessions. Forty-eight of the players, drawn from three teams, took part in a session that included repetitive heading drills from set pieces and similar scenarios; they also undertook one that involved other high-intensity exercise, with no head contact allowed. The results found specific changes in certain microRNA levels whose numbers were unaffected by the other high-intensity exercise.
Finally! (Score:3, Funny)
WTF is heading...? (Score:1, Insightful)
It appears this is about soccer, not football.
This is a US centric site, so when you don't use US terms, it starts out confusing.
So, this is a soccer move....what is "heading"? They don't wear helmets in soccer, so, are they really head butting each other on the field or something?
Re: (Score:2)
I thought American Football was even worse. The helmets actually make the injuries worse or something, hence why in Rugby they use a different style and no armour.
Re:WTF is heading...? (Score:5, Insightful)
The helmets don't make head injuries worse exactly, they and the other protective gear encourage[s] harder hits which do more damage even with more protection.
Re: (Score:2)
The helmets don't make head injuries worse exactly, they and the other protective gear encourage[s] harder hits which do more damage even with more protection.
Indeed, and the use of thin armour has been growing in rugby too, and where it is used brain injuries have increased because there's no armour in your skull to protect against the increased g's.
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Helmets don't protect your brain, they protect your skull. The helmets work great to prevent skull fractures. But the multiple sub-concussive hits you take during a football game still cause your brain to slam into the side of your skull, damaging it. Your brain has a similar consistency to old jello or the skin that pudding gets on the surface after a few days.
Re:WTF is heading...? (Score:5, Informative)
That's when a player strikes the ball with his head to direct its movement. Players should not be head butting each other unless Liverpool is down one-nil and they send out one of their hard bastards to teach the other team's midfielder a bit of manners.
Bad Medicine (Score:1)
Re:WTF is heading...? (Score:5, Funny)
Ok...I went to look at the article.
It appears this is about soccer, not football.
No, it's football, not American Rugby.
Re: (Score:2)
So, this is a soccer move....what is "heading"? They don't wear helmets in soccer, so, are they really head butting each other on the field or something?
In soccer, the term 'football' is taken literally, no use of the hands. But you can use your head.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
But you can use your head.
And that's the only use for heads. These studies explicitly measured change rather than mere prevalence of brain damage, as brain damage is an entry requirement both for football and American handegg.
Re: (Score:2)
In soccer, the term 'football' is taken literally, no use of the hands. But you can use your head.
But then why isn't it called headball or nohandball or mostlyfootball? I could see if only the feet were allowed, but every body part is allowed except for hands (well except for the goalie who uses his hands all the time, and the throw-ins where the hands are used all the time). It's just that customarily, the feet are mostly used. In American football, every part of the body is allowed. Aside from the partial soccer restriction on hands, it seems to me that the main difference with regard to body part
Re: (Score:2)
As you may already know, in soccer you are not allowed to touch the ball with your hands (unless you're the goalie). This means a soccer player must make the ball go where he wants by hitting it with other body parts. The feet are by far the common way (hence "football") but certainly not the only way. When the ball is in flight at a good height for it, the preferred method is to hit it with your head--"heading".
Wear and repair (Score:3)
But by itself, the fact that some activity triggers signals in the body doesn't strike me as terribly alarming, although understanding the mechanisms of the body is good science.
Is heading the ball known to cause long-term cognitive impairment based on previous longitudinal studies?
Re: (Score:2)
Any kind of athletic activity causes wear, tear, and repair.
Is heading the ball known to cause long-term cognitive impairment based on previous longitudinal studies?
Yes. Although I don't really follow it well enough to know what the studies are, so feel free to do your own research. There is at least anecdotal evidence that heading the ball can lead to brain injuries and even some forms of dementia later in life. This study is not coming out of nowhere but is part of an ongoing discussion.
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Some of the anecdotal evidence comes from the England 1966 World Cup winning team, where 5 of the 11 have died with or been diagnosed with dementia. There's an article here [skysports.com]. To quote the son of one of the players:
“I’m utterly convinced,” says John Stiles. “You have to follow the science. For my dad, it should have been one in 44 [cases of dementia]. In his two teams, it’s roughly 50 per cent.
Re: (Score:2)
Symptoms Of Heading the Ball Too Often (Score:4, Funny)
Includes falling on the ground for no apparent reason and grasping one's leg as if one is in pain.
News flash! (Score:2)
"Hitting your head repeatedly on something is bad for the brain.", say top boffins.
"We have spent decades experimenting with different surfaces and head impact - concrete, wood, leather - our observations lead us to believe that repeated impact of certain parts of the head can lead to something bad happening, except for marshmallows and paper and feathers and a lot of other stuff.", says a top boffin.