Concussions and heading in soccer
Concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI), is a clinical syndrome defined as a complex pathophysiological process, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. Soccer is the most popular en fastest-growing sport worldwide. Due to the nature of the soccer, players are vulnerable to various types of head and neck injuries, including concussions.
The results indicate that female soccer players have a higher incidence of concussions than males. The most frequent injury mechanism is player-to-player contact for both genders. Few studies examined the effects of concussion in soccer players; however, neurocognitive outcomes were similar to those reported in the larger sport concussion literature, while the effect of heading is less clear. It was noted that only four studies investigated the neurocognitive outcomes of acute concussion in soccer players and this is an area that could be greatly expanded.
Watch an informative video about the science behind heading in soccer below:
