The Lancet Neurology journal has published a research article by Irina Martín Izquierdo, a medical student at the University of Barcelona, and led by Àlex Iranzo, a neurologist at Hospital Clínic, professor at the UB's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and head of the Clinical Neurophysiology Research Group at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS). Fina Castro, professor at the UB's Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, director of the Clinical Neurosciences Institute and head of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Research Group at IDIBAPS, also participated in the presentation of the results.
In this study, the number and frequency of blows to the head were assessed through a detailed analysis of 120 videos of matches from four World Cups over the last fifty years: the 1974 World Cup in Germany, the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A significant increase in the number of hits to the head was detected in these years: 4,478 times in 1974 and 1990, compared to 5,355 collisions in 2006 and 2022. Both impacts between players (including elbows to the head) and repeated headbutts on the ball have increased.
In 33% of the collisions, medical attention was required and on five occasions players had to be removed from the field (all cases between 2006 and 2022). This is because the style of play has evolved over the last fifty years in terms of aggressiveness, physical strength and competitiveness.
Previous epidemiological studies have shown that there is an increased incidence of different neurodegenerative diseases among professional football players, such as Alzheimer's , Parkinson's , ALS and REM (rapid eye movement) disorders. These neurological problems are thought to be associated with repetitive exposure to impacts to the head of these players during matches and training.
These previous studies evaluated professional football players active between the 1950s and 1970s who developed neurodegenerative diseases decades after retirement.
