The study, called Scores, was conducted by researchers at the English University of East Anglia, on tests conducted via the Internet to assess cognitive functions remotely, and to monitor the deterioration of brain health..
About 145 professional soccer players participated, including former Crystal Palace striker Mark Bright, former Welsh duo Norwich Jeremy Goss and compatriot Ewan Roberts..
The study included 55 former players aged 65 years or older, and their results were compared with 27 people who do not play football, in the study group where the participants are 65 years and over, as well as a standard group of thousands of participants who were combined from other studies and subjected to tests. itself.
According to the results of the study, the performance of former football players between the ages of 40 and 50 is better than the rest of the participants, but the trend reverses with age.
Doctor Michael Gray, who led the study, commented, “When they reached 65, things started to go downhill,” according to Agence France-Presse.
He continued: “Football players over the age of 65 have the worst performance in the areas of reaction, executive functions (which include managing and controlling non-routine situations, or performing several things at the same time) or positioning. These are clearly markers. Early warning of deteriorating brain health“.
This new study is in line with findings from a survey conducted by the University of Glasgow, which found footballers were “three and a half times more likely than the general population to die from a neurodegenerative disease such as dementia or Parkinson’s”..
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