Effects of youth tackle football on brain structure and function

A study in JAMA Network Open explored the brain structure and neurophysiological characteristics of adolescent football players.

The neurological impact of adolescent football players subjected to head traumas is unclear. While football might promote teamwork, repeated subconcussive blows can cause neurological problems, particularly in young athletes.

Studies have reported that collision sports athletes have a lower cortical thickness, but current high school and college football players have higher brain volume reduction and cortical thinning in frontotemporal areas. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) functional connectivity indicated neurophysiological alterations caused by repeated head trauma.

In the study, researchers used sophisticated neuroimaging techniques to assess brain anatomy and neurophysiology between high school football players and non-contact sports participants.

The team matched adolescent football athletes and controls engaging in non-contact sports such as tennis, swimming, and cross country from five high school sports programs based on age, school, and gender (male). They conducted neuroimaging assessments between May and July 2021 and the following year and analyzed data between February and November 2023.

The analysis included 275 male participants, divided into football players and control groups. The football players showed significant cortical thinning, especially in the fronto-occipital regions, including the right precentral gyri and the left superior frontal gyri, compared to the controls.

The study concluded cortical thinning in frontal and occipital areas, thickening in the cingulate cortex, higher sulcal depth, and greater gyrification in adolescent footballer brains as compared to controls. Local brain activity patterns revealed lower ALFF in the frontal area and higher ALFF within the occipital region.

The findings also highlighted the continuous growth and maturation of cortical gyri and sulci, essential to the developmental trajectory from childhood to adolescence.

Reference: Zuidema TR, Hou J, Kercher KA, et al. Cerebral Cortical Surface Structure and Neural Activation Pattern Among Adolescent Football Players. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(2):e2354235. DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.54235 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2814507