A £1 million study is researching links between soccer and dementia. 

The Screening Cognitive Outcomes after Repetitive Head Impact Exposure in Sport (Scores) project, run by the University of East Anglia (UEA), aims to screen former footballers’ brain health for evidence of dementia that may appear long before any other symptoms, such as memory problems, become apparent.

There have been growing concerns about the risk of dementia in soccer players, particularly those who frequently headed the ball.

The lead researcher, Dr Michael Grey, from UEA’s school of health sciences, said: “We now know that there is a much higher risk of dementia in former professional footballers and we think this is related to repetitive heading of the ball. We do not know if this extends to the amateur level.

“So there will be many footballers out there who are understandably very worried about their futures. We will be working with former professional players to investigate and track their brain health over time. We hope to follow these footballers for the rest of their lives.”