A cause for concern?

J ust to add to the recent concern over heading soccer balls and the risk of chronic brain injury, another study has just appeared that raises new fears. In a paper published in Brain, Chio and his colleagues from Italy reported that there was an increased risk of developing motor neurone disease (MND) amongst Italian soccer players. In this retrospective cohort study, there were five diagnosed MND cases in a subpopulation of 7435 soccer players of the top two Italian divisions who played in the period from 1970 to 2001. Although only small numbers of MND patients were identified, this exceeded the statistical likelihood of developing MND in this population. This paper adds to the growing body of concern in regard to the risk of developing this condition from sport. Previously a judicial report from the Italian soccer leagues raised similar concerns. A 4 year study commissioned by a local magistrate looked at every player in Serie A and B between 1960 and 1997. Of the total of 24 000 calciatori, eight were found to have died from MND. A further follow up of those who were dead or who had fallen ill since 1997 found a further 32 cases. The Guardian has reported that MND has claimed a number of former players in England in recent years including Don Revie, Rob Hindmarch of Derby and Sunderland, Middlesbrough’s Willie Maddren, and the former Celtic winger Jimmy Johnstone. As a result long term follow up studies of English footballers have been mooted.