Heading a ball means heading for trouble

Watch out, Cristiano Ronaldo! Heading a football may be dangerous as it can decrease your brain's performance, a new study has found. The researchers led by Anne Sereno tested the effects of non-injurious head-to-ball impacts on cognitive function using a tablet-based app.

Watch out, Cristiano Ronaldo! Heading a football may be dangerous as it can decrease your brain's performance, a new study has found.

Sports-related head injuries are a growing concern, and research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston suggested that even less forceful actions like 'heading' a football may cause changes in performance on certain cognitive tasks.

The researchers led by Anne Sereno tested the effects of non-injurious head-to-ball impacts on cognitive function using a tablet-based app.

They found that sub-concussive blows to the head may cause changes specifically linked to certain cognitive functions.

In the study, high school female football players were significantly slower than non-players on a task that required pointing away from a target on the screen, but showed no difference in performance when pointing to the on-screen visual target.

According to the study published in journal PLOS ONE, tasks that involve pointing away from a target require specific voluntary responses, whereas moving toward a target is a more reflexive response.

The app used in the research may be a quick and effective way to screen for and track cognitive changes in athletes, researchers said in a statement. They added that a tablet-based application for such quick screens may also have broader applications in the clinic or the field.