Can heading a football give someone dementia?
Neuropathologist Willie Stewart is attempting to answer the question if heading a football can cause dementia. He is hoping to find out the same by comparing the health of former footballers and people who haven't played. Football authorities have stayed away from this topic despite former England player Jeff Astle dying in 2002. Industrial disease was cited as the cause of his death.
How will the study be conducted?
Ex-England and Newcastle forward Alan Shearer, who was famous for his prowess in the air, has put his weight behind the issue by speaking about his dementia fears. Now a study is set to be done by Stewart and his team. Medical histories of 10,000 former professional footballers will be compared against 30,000 people, who haven't played the sport.
Information regarding the funding and the aim
"Football's Influence on Lifelong Health and Dementia Risk", is the name of this study to be practised. This is being funded by the Football Association (FA) and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) in England. The aim is to gather hard evidence on this emotive subject.
Why was Astle brought into the picture?
Astle did aged 59 in 2002. 12 years later, Stewart stated that the player died from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) that stemmed from head injuries. He spoke on the issue after having examining the former player's brain. The condition is normally associated with boxing professionals. Stewart is cautious as the issue is murky with anecdote and speculation.
What is dementia?
Dementia is generally related to decline in one's mental ability which, in turn, is severe enough to affect someone's daily life. Memory loss, lapse of judgement are prime examples. The most common type of dementia is the Alzheimer's disease.
