Heading the ball riskier for female players – Study

During the 2018 FIFA U 20 Women World Cup Qualifier match between Nigeria vs South Africa on January,27th 2018 at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium at Kabiru Abubakar/fotodezamora

Brain damage from heading a football may be five times more extensive in women than men , said a US study on Tuesday based on nearly 100 amateur players , AFP reports .

The report in the journal Radiology suggested that sex-specific guidelines may be needed to guard against head injuries in football .

“ Researchers and clinicians have long noticed that women fare worse following head injury than men, but some have said that’ s only because women are more willing to report symptoms , ” said lead author Michael Lipton , professor of radiology , psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine .

“Based on our study , which measured objective changes in brain tissue rather than self -reported symptoms, women do seem more likely than men to suffer brain trauma from heading soccer balls. ”

For the study, 49 male and 49 female players were given a form of MRI called diffusion tensor imaging, which analyzes the health of the brain’ s white matter by looking at water balance in the tissue .

Players ’ ages ranged from 18- 50, and both groups reported a similar number of headings over the previous year . Men reported an average of 487 headings and women 469 .

The scans showed that “ the volume of damaged white matter in women soccer players was five times greater than for male players , ” according to the report .

The women had eight brain regions where white matter – which involves communication between different parts of the brain – were affected, compared to three in men .

Researchers said the brain changes were “ subclinical, ” meaning the players did not report any altered thinking ability .

But the changes remain a concern because they could be a precursor to further injury and brain damage, including cognitive decline and behavioural changes .

“ Before serious dysfunction occurs, it ’ s wise to identify risk factors for cumulative brain injury – such as heading if you ’ re female – so that people can act to prevent further damage and maximize recovery , ” said Lipton .