Youth Soccer Participation and Brain Health Outcomes in Adolescent Athletes

Is participation in youth soccer associated with short-term changes in cognition, behavior, brain structure and function, or biomarkers of brain injury compared with noncontact sports?In this cohort study of 129 youth athletes, no statistically significant differences were detected over 1 season between soccer players and noncontact athletes in cognition, behavior, balance, neuroimaging metrics, or blood biomarkers.Although this study found no difference in brain-related outcomes over 1 season between youth soccer players and noncontact sports athletes, large, multiyear studies are required to inform health policy.

Corresponding Author: Inga K. Koerte, MD, cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Nussbaumstr 5, 80336 Munich, Germany (inga.koerte@med.lmu.de).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.