Heading Soccer Ball linked to Brain Injury

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The brains of people who 'head' the ball frequently in soccer show signs of brain injury, according to research from the Albert Einstein School of Medicine.
Researchers used an advanced MRI technique to examine the brain's communication network. Examining the brains of 37 amateur soccer players, who reported having played the game an average of 22 years, researchers found results which are similar to those with brain injuries.
"Heading a soccer ball is not an impact of a magnitude that will lacerate nerve fibers in the brain," lead author Michael L. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D, was quoted as saying, "but repetitive heading could set off a cascade of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells over time."
For more information, go to: http://www.einstein.yu.edu/news/releases/915/frequent-soccer-ball-heading-may-lead-to-brain-injury/
SOURCE: Radiology, June 2013