Cognitive Impairment and Self-Reported Dementia in UK Retired Professional Soccer Players: A Cross Sectional Comparative Study

Sports Medicine - Open

Original Research Article

Ashley Duncan¹  Tara-Mei Povall Macnab²  Bonnie Millar³  Gwen Sascha Fernandes⁴  Shima Espahbodi⁵  Ahmed Thanoon⁵  Michael Doherty⁶  Weiya Zhang⁷  Gordon Fuller⁸  Colin W. Fuller⁹  Maria Goodwin^1,10  Eef Hogervorst^1,10  Eamonn Ferguson^1,11  Tobias Bast^1,12  Mark Batt^1,13 

[1] Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM), School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK;Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK;Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Academic Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK;Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Centre for Urgent and Emergency Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK;Colin Fuller Consultancy Ltd, Sutton Bonington, UK;National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM), School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK;Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Academic Rheumatology, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;Versus Arthritis Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;

关键词: Soccer players;    General population;    Cognitive function;    Self-reported dementia;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40798-023-00588-2

 received in 2023-01-01, accepted in 2023-05-23,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPrevious studies based on death certificates have found professional soccer players were more likely to die with neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether retired professional male soccer players would perform worse on cognitive tests and be more likely to self-report dementia diagnosis than general population control men.MethodsA cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between August 2020 and October 2021 in the United Kingdom (UK). Professional soccer players were recruited through different soccer clubs in England, and general population control men were recruited from the East Midlands in the UK. We obtained self-reported postal questionnaire data on dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, comorbidities and risk factors from 468 soccer players and 619 general population controls. Of these, 326 soccer players and 395 general population controls underwent telephone assessment for cognitive function.ResultsRetired soccer players were approximately twice as likely to score below established dementia screening cut-off scores on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (OR 2.06, 95%CI 1.11–3.83) and Verbal Fluency (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.18–2.68), but not the Test Your Memory, modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Analyses were adjusted for age, education, hearing loss, body mass index, stroke, circulatory problems in the legs and concussion. While retired soccer players were younger, had fewer cardiovascular diseases and other morbidities and reported healthier lifestyles, 2.8% of retired soccer players reported medically diagnosed dementia and other neurodegenerative disease compared to 0.9% of controls (OR = 3.46, 95% CI 1.25–9.63) after adjustment for age and possible confounders.ConclusionsUK male retired soccer players had a higher risk of performing below established cut-off scores of dementia screening tests and were more likely to self-report medically diagnosed dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, despite having better overall physical health and fewer dementia risk factors. Further study is needed to determine specific soccer-related risk factors.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Crown 2023

【 图 表 】

Fig. 2

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