“ White and gray matter have different densities and move at different rates in response to head impact. That creates shear forces between the two types of tissue, leaving the interface between the two layers vulnerable to injury.”
Soccer Heading Does Most Damage to Brain Area Critical for Cognition
“ White and gray matter have different densities and move at different rates in response to head impact. That creates shear forces between the two types of tissue, leaving the interface between the two layers vulnerable to injury.”
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A brain imaging technique developed by Columbia researchers has identified areas in the brain’ s cerebral cortex— just behind the forehead— that are most damaged by the repetitive impacts from heading a soccer ball. Their study also found that the damage leads to cognitive deficits seen in soccer players who head the ball frequently.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was conducted in amateur adult soccer players from New York City.
“ What’ s important about our study is that it shows, really for the first time, that exposure to repeated head impacts causes specific changes in the brain that, in turn, impair cognitive function,” says study leader Michael Lipton, MD, PhD, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
The study also gives researchers a brain imaging tool they need to detect these injuries in individuals, learn more about the ways