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Is Soccer Bad for Children's Heads? Summary of the IOM Workshop on Neuropsychological Consequences of Head Impact in Youth Soccer (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Studies of Soccer and Football Players
Pages 9-12

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
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From page 9...
... Dr. Echemendia used a broad battery of neuropsychology tests to study brain function in college athletes, but found no significant differences in the mental performance of freshmen soccer players versus freshmen swimmers or other athletes in noncontact sports not likely to foster head injuries.
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From page 10...
... The study results were similar for comparisons of amateur as well as professional athletes. The studies of professional soccer players in the Netherlands also found that soccer players who did more heading or experienced more concussions scored lower on visual and verbal memory tests, visual analysis planning and tasks requiring focused attention and visual scanning.
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From page 11...
... Crisco suggested that it might be more cost effective to develop standards for soccer balls so that they are not likely to cause brain injury, than to do so for protective soccer headgear. The structure, weight, and other material properties of soccer balls all influence the amount of impact they can have on the head, he noted.
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Key Terms

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  • noncontact sports
  • professional soccer
  • neuropsychological test

  • soccer ball
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  • neuropsychology tests
  • brain function

  • frequently head
  • ball causes
  • develop standards
  • european soccer
  • published study

  • concussions experienced
  • head injury
  • elite soccer
  • neuropsychological tests
  • college soccer

  • provided direct
  • margot putukian
  • mental functions
  • brain functions
  • test scores

  • neuropsychological consequences
  • head injuries
  • cause brain
  • mental performance
  • direct evidence


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