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"A half century of heading in #soccer"
@EmmaRosalyn11, @KatyStewart4 & @WillStewNeuro
@GlasgowTBI @UofGMVLS
#football #heading #dementiainfootball
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@EmmaRosalyn11, @KatyStewart4 & @WillStewNeuro
@GlasgowTBI @UofGMVLS
#football #heading #dementiainfootball
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Neurodegenerative disease mortality among former professional #soccer players is higher than in matched population controls, ranging from a doubling of Parkinson’s disease to a 5 fold increase in deaths with Alzhemier’s disease
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1908483
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https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1908483
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Neuropathology studies of former #soccer players with #dementia reveal a majority with chronic traumatic encephalopathy ( #CTE), a pathology virtually exclusive to patients with prior exposure to traumatic brain injury ( #TBI)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00401-019-02030-y
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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00401-019-02030-y
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#TBI including #concussion are infrequent in #soccer,* however, repetitive head impacts in the form of soccer ball #heading are part of routine training and match play.
A concern is that heading represents a risk for neurodegenerative disease
* https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/21/1332
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A concern is that heading represents a risk for neurodegenerative disease
* https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/21/1332
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There have been calls for measures to reduce #heading in #soccer to mitigate against #dementia risk.
Meanwhile there are suggestions current risk is lower than in past for various reasons, including ‘there is less heading in the modern game’ (hereafter @BBCMOTD hypothesis)
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Meanwhile there are suggestions current risk is lower than in past for various reasons, including ‘there is less heading in the modern game’ (hereafter @BBCMOTD hypothesis)
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To test the @BBCMOTD hypothesis we reviewed #heading data from all @FIFAWorldCup #soccer competitions spanning 1966 to 2018
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Raw data for heading in @FIFAWorldCup competitions were provided by @StatsPerform.
Video for each match was reviewed by @StatsPerform analysts and all heading events recorded and categorised as either: defensive header; headed pass; headed shot
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Video for each match was reviewed by @StatsPerform analysts and all heading events recorded and categorised as either: defensive header; headed pass; headed shot
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There has been an increase in total #headers/ match over 1966 to 2018 competitions, though with competition to competition variability
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Adjusting for competition variability #headers/ match was compared early competitions 1966-1990 to ‘modern’ competitions 1994-2018.
There were fewer headers/match @FIFAWorldCup soccer competitions 1966-1990 than in more recent World Cups 1994-2018 (71 versus 93; p=0.002)
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There were fewer headers/match @FIFAWorldCup soccer competitions 1966-1990 than in more recent World Cups 1994-2018 (71 versus 93; p=0.002)
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Looking at #header type, headed passes have increased over time, while clearances and shots have remained stable
Headed passes/match in @FIFAWorldCup 1966-1990 were around two thirds those of World Cups 1994-2018 (43 versus 64; p=0.001)
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Headed passes/match in @FIFAWorldCup 1966-1990 were around two thirds those of World Cups 1994-2018 (43 versus 64; p=0.001)
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