Carnegie Mellon University

Study Finds Routine Hits From Playing Football Cause Damage to the Brain

August 07, 2019

Study Finds Routine Hits From Playing Football Cause Damage to the Brain

New research led by Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Rochester Medical Center indicates that concussions aren't the sole cause of damage to the brain in contact sports. A study of college football players found that typical hits sustained from playing just one season cause structural changes to the brain.

The researchers studied 38 University of Rochester players, putting accelerometers — devices that measures accelerative force — in their helmets for every practice and game. The players' brains were scanned in an MRI machine before and after a season of play.

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