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Cognitive Ageing in Top-Level Female Soccer Players Compared to a Normative Sample from the General Population: A Cross-sectional Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2020

Annika Prien Open the ORCID record for Annika Prien [Opens in a new window] ,
Carolin Besuden ,
Astrid Junge ,
Nina Feddermann-Demont ,
Peter Brugger  and
Evert Verhagen
Annika Prien*
Affiliation:
Department of Prevention, Health Promotion and Sports Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany Amsterdam collaboration on Health & Safety in Sports, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Carolin Besuden
Affiliation:
Amsterdam collaboration on Health & Safety in Sports, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Astrid Junge
Affiliation:
Department of Prevention, Health Promotion and Sports Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany Swiss Concussion Center (SCC), Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland
Nina Feddermann-Demont
Affiliation:
Swiss Concussion Center (SCC), Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Peter Brugger
Affiliation:
Swiss Concussion Center (SCC), Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, ZIHP, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Neuropsychology Unit, Valens Rehabilitation Centre, Valens, Switzerland
Evert Verhagen
Affiliation:
Amsterdam collaboration on Health & Safety in Sports, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Annika Prien, Amsterdam UMC, Locatie VUmc; De Boelelaan 7; 1081 HVAmsterdam. E-mail: a.prien@vumc.nl
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Abstract

Objective:

There is an ongoing debate on the potential negative effect of contact sport participation on long-term neurocognitive performance due to inherent exposure to concussive and subconcussive head impacts. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cognitive ageing is exacerbated in elite soccer players compared to the general population.

Method:

Neurocognitive performance in 6 domains was compared between 240 elite soccer players and a normative sample from the general population (n = 585) using the computerised test battery CNS Vital Signs. We used two-way factorial ANOVA to analyse the interaction between age groups (15–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49 years) and study population (female soccer players vs. norm sample) in their effects on neurocognitive performance.

Results:

We found no significant interaction effect of age group and study population in five of six test domains. For processing speed, the effect of age was more pronounced in female soccer players (F = 16.89, p = .002). Further, there was a clear main effect of study population on neurocognitive performance with generally better scores in soccer players.

Conclusions:

Elite female soccer players generally performed better than the norm sample on tests of cognitive function, and further, cognitive ageing effects were similar in elite soccer players and controls in all but one domain. A lifespan approach may facilitate insightful future research regarding questions related to long-term neurocognitive health in contact sport athletes.

Keywords

Age-related cognitive declineNeurocognitive performanceCNS vital signsConcussionFootballAgeing athlete
Type
Regular Research
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 26 , Issue 7 , August 2020 , pp. 645 - 653
Copyright
Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2020

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