Researchers Launch Study Into Head Impact, Brain Disease In Footballers

Researchers launched a “breakthrough study” costing £660,000 ($862,000) into the "potential link" between head impacts and brain disease among former professional footballers in England, according to Jeremy Wilson of the London TELEGRAPH. Funded by the Drake Foundation, academics from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary University and the Institute of Occupational Medicine "will study 300 former players between the ages of 50 and 85 over the next two years." The Professional Footballers’ Association, which "has been strongly criticised previously by campaigners for its perceived inaction on the issue," agreed to facilitate the project with its database of former players. Researchers will assess the playing history, work history and lifestyle of the players and also conduct an "extensive range of tests," ranging from face-to-face examinations and neurological clinical tests to the option of blood samples for biomarker measurements (TELEGRAPH, 7/17).