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Heading in Soccer: Integral Skill or Grounds for Cognitive Dysfunction?

Donald T. Kirkendall1, William E. Garrett

  • 1US Soccer Federation, Chicago, IL; Department of Orthopaedics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

Journal of Athletic Training
|August 26, 2003
PubMed
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Soccer players may experience cognitive deficits, but purposeful heading is unlikely the sole cause. Concussions, common in soccer, are a more probable factor in cognitive dysfunction.

Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Cognitive deficits are reported in soccer players.
  • The popular press often links these deficits to soccer participation.
  • Early research suggested purposeful heading as a primary cause.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review literature on heading in soccer and head injuries.
  • To examine the link between these factors and cognitive dysfunction in players.
  • To identify the primary causes of cognitive deficits in soccer.

Main Methods:

  • Searched MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus databases (1965-2001).
  • Used keywords for soccer and head injuries (concussion, head injury).
  • Reviewed reference lists for additional relevant studies.

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Main Results:

  • Cognitive deficits in athletes are established.
  • Evidence does not strongly support purposeful heading as the sole cause.
  • Concussions are a frequent head injury in soccer and a known cause of cognitive dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • Blaming purposeful heading for cognitive deficits is difficult without data on exposure and impact.
  • Concussions, often from head-to-head or head-ground impacts, are a likely mechanism for reported cognitive dysfunction in soccer players.