NFL players with concussion histories have reduced cognitive performance, study shows
CBSN
A large study looking at over 350 former National Football League players found that players with a history of concussions and concussive symptoms had reduced cognitive performances later in life.
The study, led by Mass General Brigham investigators from McLean Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, compared former players against men of the same age and found that players who had concussions during their NFL careers scored worse on assessments of episodic memory, sustained attention, processing speed and vocabulary.
The study required 353 former players — who had on average retired from the NFL 29 years ago — to complete hour-long online tests. Concussion information and details about players' symptoms was self-reported. Researchers then compared the players' test scores to the scores of 5,000 male volunteers who did not play football. The comparison found that while younger former players outperformed nonplayers on some tests, older retired players were more likely to perform worse.