The effect of soccer heading on the brain.

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Subconcussive Head Impacts; Injuries and Accidents - Other injuries and accidents

• Registration Number: ACTRN12621001355864
• Lead Sponsor: niversity of Sydney

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2021-10-07
• Study Completion: 2022-11-04
• Last Update Posted: 9 January 2023

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 15

Inclusion Criteria

Healthy individuals
- More than or equal to 5 years of soccer heading experience; that is, more than or equal to 5 full seasons of play and(or) training (with heading) the most recent of which was completed in the last 2 years.
- Proficient in English and able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

(a)A self-reported head, neck, face and/or eye injury (including concussion; as assessed via the Concussion History Questionnaire in the last 12 months
(b)A current, self-reported sports injury (any type)
(c)A self-reported history of neurological disorders (e.g., seizure disorders, closed head injuries with loss of consciousness >15-minutes, spinal cord injury, stroke)
(d)Implantation of a cochlear device, cardiac pacemaker, intracardiac lines, medical fusion device, neurostimulator or metal plates (in the head)
(e)Use of dental braces or eyeglasses (contact lenses permitted)
(f)A contraindication to MRI (that is not already excluded in another criterion) (i.e., body and(or) facial piercings that cannot easily be removed, a drug infusion pump that cannot easily be removed)
(g)A history of a major psychiatric disorder within the previous 12 months, as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-V criteria or at the medical doctor’s discretion, except, mild to moderate depression (score <20 on the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] or mild to moderate anxiety (score <16 on the Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI]
(h)A history of attempted suicide or current suicide ideation as determined by a score >0 on Question 9 of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9
(i)Inability to avoid soccer heading or any other activity involving head impacts (e.g., contact sports) 7-days prior to and while participating in this project
(j)Inability to refrain from consuming alcohol (24 hours) and caffeine (12 hours) prior to each experimental trial
(k)Inability to refrain from using anti-inflammatory medications (4-days) prior to each experimental trial (e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatories [NSAIDs], such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Diclofenac; and corticosteroids, such as Prednisolone).
(l)Inability to refrain from using central nervous system (CNS) active drugs (i.e., cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, methadone, opioids, oxycodone, barbiturates) 7-days prior to and while participating in this project as confirmed by a negative urine drug screen (UDS) (DrugCheck® NxStep Onsite Urine Test Cup)
(m)Pregnant or lactating. All female volunteers of childbearing potential will be required to complete a urine pregnancy test (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin [hCG] Cassette, AlereTM). Females of childbearing potential must also agree to use a reliable form of contraception while participating in this project.
(n)Current use of platelet active agents such as aspirin, ticagrelor, clopidogrel and prasugrel, warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Brain structure assessed via Diffuse Tensor Imaging (DTI) measuring fractional anisotropy[~30-90 mins post SSHT and kicking task];Brain function assessed via functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measuring resting state functional connectivity [~30-90 mins post SSHT and kicking task];Brain chemistry assessed via Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) measuring concentrations of glutamate [~30-90 mins post SSHT and kicking task]