Tags: football | brain study | cte | cnn

Study: Football Affects Youth Brain Development After Just One Season

football helmet with a pink cross painted on its side
(Copyright DPC)

By    |   Monday, 26 November 2018 12:38 PM EST

Just one season of football resulted in signs of damage to brain development for those youth players who have frequent impacts to the head, according to a study, CNN reported on Monday.

"Repetitive head impact exposure may have a cumulative effect in the rapidly developing brains of youth and high school football players," said study co-author Gowtham Krishnan Murugesan.

The UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas study provided 60 football players between the ages of 9 and 18 who had no history of head trauma or developmental issues with a telemetry system that measures impacts to the head.

The players were put into two categories – those with high cumulative head impacts and those with low cumulative ones.

Before the season began, each child received a resting state functional scan, which was repeated at season's end. The researchers were trying to see how exposure to repetitive hits affects the normal "pruning" process in the brain that occurs during adolescence.

After comparing those results to the player's level of impact, the study found that youth in the high-impact group had damage after just one season to their pruning process – during which old, useless connections between nerves are supposed to be disposed of.

Disrupting this process means electrical and chemical connections within the brain do not work as well, which affects thinking skills, according to the Daily Mail.

The study adds to increasing evidence that regular blows to the head, even if they do not cause concussions, can result in long-lasting brain damage.

Other researchers not involved in the study cautioned that more research must be done over several years in order to fully understand the impact of regular blows to the head.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


Newsfront
According to a study, just one season of football resulted in signs of damage to brain development for those youth players who have frequent impacts to the head, CNN reported Monday.
football, brain study, cte, cnn
282
2018-38-26
Monday, 26 November 2018 12:38 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
Find Your Condition
Newsmax2 Live
 
On Now:6:00a ET • Day of Outrage
Coming Up:7:00a ET • First Edition
Get Newsmax Text Alerts

The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service.

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved