The scans at NeuRA Imaging, the UNSW Node of the National Imaging Facility, revealed decreased conductivity in several white-matter areas of the brain, plus increased levels of chemicals indicating brain metabolism in the primary motor cortex. There were also increases in two proteins indicating disruption to these brain cells in bloodwork.
Importantly, the study is also the first randomised controlled trial (the golden standard of scientific experiments) to use MRI to examine brain responses to soccer heading. The research adds up to microstructural, functional and chemical changes after soccer heading.
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