Individualized Monitoring of Longitudinal Heading Exposure in Soccer

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2024 Jan 20

PMID 38245604

Authors

Rebecca Kenny

Marko Elez

Adam Clansey

Naznin Virji-Babul

Lyndia C Wu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

There is growing concern that repetitive soccer headers may have negative long-term consequences on brain health. However, inconsistent and low-quality heading exposure measurements limit past investigations of this effect. Here we conducted a comprehensive heading exposure analysis across all players on a university women's soccer team for over two calendar years (36 unique athletes), quantifying both game and practice exposure during all in-season and off-season periods, with over ten thousand video-confirmed headers. Despite an average of approximately 2 headers per day, players' daily exposures ranged from 0 to 45 headers, accumulating to highly variable total exposure of 2-223 headers over each in-season/off-season period. Overall, practices and off-season periods accounted for 70% and 45% of headers, respectively. Impact sensor data showed that heading kinematics fell within a tight distribution, but sensors could not capture full heading exposure due to factors such as compliance. With first-of-its-kind complete heading exposure data, we recommend exposure assessments be made on an individual level and include practice/off-season collection in addition to games and competitive seasons. Commonly used group statistics do not capture highly variable exposures, and individualized complete heading exposure tracking needs to be incorporated in future study designs for confirming the potential brain injury risk associated with soccer heading.

References

Russell E, Mackay D, Stewart K, MacLean J, Pell J, Stewart W . Association of Field Position and Career Length With Risk of Neurodegenerative Disease in Male Former Professional Soccer Players. JAMA Neurol. 2021; 78(9):1057-1063. PMC: 8329793. DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.2403. View

Rodrigues A, Lasmar R, Caramelli P . Effects of Soccer Heading on Brain Structure and Function. Front Neurol. 2016; 7:38. PMC: 4800441. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2016.00038. View

Kontos A, Braithwaite R, Chrisman S, McAllister-Deitrick J, Symington L, Reeves V . Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of football heading. Br J Sports Med. 2016; 51(15):1118-1124. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096276. View

Kenny R, Elez M, Clansey A, Virji-Babul N, Wu L . Head Impact Exposure and Biomechanics in University Varsity Women's Soccer. Ann Biomed Eng. 2022; 50(11):1461-1472. PMC: 8765100. DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-02914-3. View

Boden B, Kirkendall D, Garrett Jr W . Concussion incidence in elite college soccer players. Am J Sports Med. 1998; 26(2):238-41. DOI: 10.1177/03635465980260021301. View

Tarnutzer A, Straumann D, Brugger P, Feddermann-Demont N . Persistent effects of playing football and associated (subconcussive) head trauma on brain structure and function: a systematic review of the literature. Br J Sports Med. 2016; 51(22):1592-1604. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096593. View

Bruno D, Rutherford A . Cognitive ability in former professional football (soccer) players is associated with estimated heading frequency. J Neuropsychol. 2021; 16(2):434-443. DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12264. View

Beaudouin F, Gioftsidou A, Larsen M, Lemmink K, Drust B, Modena R . The UEFA Heading Study: Heading incidence in children's and youth' football (soccer) in eight European countries. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020; 30(8):1506-1517. DOI: 10.1111/sms.13694. View

Kaminski T, Wikstrom A, Gutierrez G, Glutting J . Purposeful heading during a season does not influence cognitive function or balance in female soccer players. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2007; 29(7):742-51. DOI: 10.1080/13825580600976911. View

10.

Fisher A, Medaglia J, Jeronimus B . Lack of group-to-individual generalizability is a threat to human subjects research. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018; 115(27):E6106-E6115. PMC: 6142277. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711978115. View

11.

Rezaei A, Wu L . Automated soccer head impact exposure tracking using video and deep learning. Sci Rep. 2022; 12(1):9282. PMC: 9166706. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13220-2. View

12.

Press J, Rowson S . Quantifying Head Impact Exposure in Collegiate Women's Soccer. Clin J Sport Med. 2016; 27(2):104-110. DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000313. View

13.

Kuo C, Patton D, Rooks T, Tierney G, McIntosh A, Lynall R . On-Field Deployment and Validation for Wearable Devices. Ann Biomed Eng. 2022; 50(11):1372-1388. PMC: 9652208. DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-03001-3. View

14.

Peek K, Duffield R, Cairns R, Jones M, Meyer T, McCall A . Where are We Headed? Evidence to Inform Future Football Heading Guidelines. Sports Med. 2023; 53(7):1335-1358. PMC: 10289964. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-023-01852-x. View

15.

Orhant E, Carling C, Chapellier J, Marchand J, Pradat P, Elbaz A . A retrospective analysis of all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates in French male professional footballers. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022; 32(9):1389-1399. DOI: 10.1111/sms.14195. View

16.

Caccese J, Lamond L, Buckley T, Kaminski T . Reducing purposeful headers from goal kicks and punts may reduce cumulative exposure to head acceleration. Res Sports Med. 2016; 24(4):407-415. DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2016.1230549. View

17.

Beaudouin F, Aus der Funten K, Tross T, Reinsberger C, Meyer T . Time Trends of Head Injuries Over Multiple Seasons in Professional Male Football (Soccer). Sports Med Int Open. 2019; 3(1):E6-E11. PMC: 6349547. DOI: 10.1055/a-0808-2551. View

18.

Lamond L, Caccese J, Buckley T, Glutting J, Kaminski T . Linear Acceleration in Direct Head Contact Across Impact Type, Player Position, and Playing Scenario in Collegiate Women's Soccer Players. J Athl Train. 2018; 53(2):115-121. PMC: 5842901. DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-90-17. View

19.

Siegmund G, Guskiewicz K, Marshall S, DeMarco A, Bonin S . Laboratory Validation of Two Wearable Sensor Systems for Measuring Head Impact Severity in Football Players. Ann Biomed Eng. 2015; 44(4):1257-74. DOI: 10.1007/s10439-015-1420-6. View

20.

Le Flao E, Siegmund G, Borotkanics R . Head Impact Research Using Inertial Sensors in Sport: A Systematic Review of Methods, Demographics, and Factors Contributing to Exposure. Sports Med. 2021; 52(3):481-504. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01574-y. View