Playing Tackle Football Before 12 Is Tied to Brain Problems Later
Athletes who started playing tackle football before age 12 had more behavioral and cognitive problems in the future than those who started playing after age 12, according to a new study published on Tuesday. The results, from a long-term study by researchers at Boston University, are likely to fuel the debate over when children should start playing football. The results of the study by researchers at Boston University, published in the journal Nature's Translational Psychiatry, were based on a sample of 214 former players, aged 51 on average. Of these, 43 played in high school, 103 the remaining 68 played in the NFL In telephone interviews and online surveys, the researchers found that players in all three groups participating in youth soccer before the age of 12 had a double risk of problems with behavior regulation, apathy and executive function. a triple risk of depression scores. " "The brain is going through this incredible period of growth bet...