FOCUS Study Publishes Findings on Brain Health of Former Footballers

London, 18 Jul (ONA) --- The second set of findings from the FOCUS study have now been peer reviewed and published in the JAMA Network Open medical journal.

The FOCUS study was commissioned by The Football Association, England [The FA] and the Professional Footballers' Association [PFA] in 2018, with the University of Nottingham appointed to conduct an independent research study into the long-term brain health of former professional footballers.

The study, which was led by Weiya Zhang at the Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, was commissioned as part of The FA and the PFA’s ongoing commitment to building a greater understanding of any possible link between football and dementia.

The first findings from the FOCUS study, published in June 2023, examined: Cognitive Impairment and Self-Reported Dementia in UK Retired Professional Soccer Players

Meanwhile, the second set of findings from the FOCUS study have analysed: Heading frequency and risk of cognitive impairment in retired male professional soccer players.

The findings from the second part of the FOCUS study suggest that the former professional footballers who took part in the research study were more likely to demonstrate cognitive impairment if they recalled that they had headed the ball more often in matches and training. This follows the results of a cognitive status assessment with a cohort of former professional footballers.

The former professional footballers who took part in the study were asked to recall how many times they headed the ball per typical match and per typical training session; 0-5, 6-15 and over 15 times.

From the study group, those who recalled that they typically headed the ball 6-15 times in a match were found to be 2.71 times more likely to score below the test threshold in the cognitive status assessment, than the former professional footballers in the study who recalled that they typically headed the ball 0-5 times.

The former professional footballers in the study who recalled that they typically headed the ball in a match more than 15 times were 3.53 times more likely to score below the test threshold, than the former professional footballers in the study who recalled that they typically headed the ball 0-5 times.

The second part of the FOCUS study also showed that former professional footballers who had reported that they suffered concussion with a memory loss were found to be 3.16 times more likely to score below the test threshold.

The second part of the FOCUS study adds to the research in this area although limitations are recognised within paper.

The FA has led the way in taking steps to help understand potential risk factors within the game whilst ongoing research continues in this area. This includes establishing industry-leading concussion guidelines, introducing the world’s most comprehensive heading guidance at every level of the professional and amateur game in England, and implementing the second year of a trial to remove deliberate heading in football matches across U12 level and below.

The findings of the FOCUS study will be shared with both FIFA and UEFA. The FA has reiterated its support for further research from across the wider game to help build a better understanding of players’ brain health and wellbeing.

--- Ends/Khalid