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Head trauma questions

The long-term effects of hard-on-the-head sports (soccer, football) are under study.

When neurologist Barry Jordan tested the brain function of Dutch pro soccer players recently, he found forwards and defensive players were more likely to have subtle problems in everything from memory to visual perception than were mid-fielders and goalies. They also had more concussions and were much more likely to "head" the ball, says Jordan, director of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine neuropsychiatry clinic.

Soccer moms, don't panic. There's no evidence linking youth soccer to brain injury. But among pros and elite amateurs, long-term effects need study.

As former medical director of the New York State Athletic Commission, Jordan has seen firsthand the damage repetitive head trauma can do to longtime prizefighters. In a recent study of 30 boxers ages 23-76, Jordan and colleagues found evidence that not all boxers have the same risk. Those who carried a specific gene linked to early-onset Alzheimer's disease were more likely to suffer cognitive impairment.

If the same association holds up with other "head trauma" sports, one day genetic screening might let athletes know about increased vulnerability.

By Jim Thornton
Thornton received a 1998 National Magazine Award for health reporting.