The study, which took place between July 2017 and September 2019, assessed 41 male players, and three female.
All underwent a type of brain scan called an MRI, and around half then had a second MRI scan a year later. The study used two advanced types of MRI called susceptibility weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. This allowed them to look at the structure of blood vessels and the white matter.
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The study is the first to assess long-term changes in MRI images of professional rugby players.
The rugby players were compared to athletes in non-collision sports, as well as individuals who were not athletes.
Among the group of rugby players, 21 were assessed shortly after sustaining a mild head injury, called a mild traumatic brain injury.
Concussions
In professional rugby union in England, these types of head injuries, which often cause concussions, are the most common reported match injury – accounting for one in five injuries.
The scientists analysed the brain scans for changes in the white matter of the brain, and compared these to the athletes in non-collision sports, and the non-athletes.
The results revealed that 23 percent of all of the rugby players showed abnormalities to their cell axons (the ‘wires’ of brain cells), or small tears in blood vessels. These tears cause small leaks in the brain, called microbleeds.
These changes were seen in both players with and without a recent head injury.
The implications on an individual level of the brain changes associated with elite rugby participation are unclear, although obviously it is concerning to see these changes in some of the players’ brains.
Mr Karl Zimmerman
Study author
In addition, the scans provide evidence for unexpected changes in white matter volume across the whole group of rugby players. These could indicate a longer-term effect of these abnormalities to connections in the brain. However, further research is needed to understand the significance of these changes in brain structure.
The research team also asked the players to complete assessments, such as memory tests, to analyse their brain function. The results revealed players with abnormalities in their brain structures did not perform worse than players without abnormalities.
The study team add that long-term studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects on brain health. They add that other health benefits of sports participation must also be taken into account when assessing impact on the brain health.
