Headers linked to brain damage in pros

Professional soccer players are at heightened risk of developing a brain disease that can cause dementia and is usually found in boxers and American football players, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica, looked at 14 retired soccer players with dementia who had started heading the ball in childhood or their early teens.

Post-mortem examinations carried out on six of the players found that four showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), far in excess of the average rate for the general population.