Heads Up on Brain Injury -- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded Dr. Michael Lipton $3 million over five years to study brain injury due to soccer heading. Preliminary studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) – an advanced MRI imaging technique – have shown that soccer players who head the ball more than 884 to 1,800 times per year are more vulnerable to brain injury and cognitive impairment. The funding will support Dr. Lipton’s further investigations on the influence of soccer heading on structural and functional effects in the brain. This research could help in devising player safety guidelines to alleviate brain injury related to frequent heading in soccer. Dr. Lipton is associate professor of radiology, of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and of neuroscience. He also is associate director of Einstein’s Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center.
Posted on: Wednesday, August 21, 2013