Parr Johnny V V, Uiga Liis, Marshall Ben, Wood Greg
Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Institute of Sport, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Apr 20;17:1145700. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1145700. eCollection 2023.
There is growing evidence of a link between repetitive soccer heading and the increased incidence of neurodegenerative disease. Even a short bout of soccer heading has been shown to impair cognitive performance and disrupt movement control. However, a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind these immediate impairments is needed. The current study attempted to identify how a short bout of soccer heading alters brain function and brain-muscle communication during a movement task.
Sixty soccer players were exposed to either an acute bout (i.e., 20 balls thrown underarm) of soccer heading ( = 30) or a control condition where participants ( = 30) headed soccer balls in virtual reality (VR). Before and after heading, we measured cognitive performance on the King-Devick test, as well as electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG) and brain-muscle communication (i.e., corticomuscular coherence; CMC) during a force precision task.
Following the heading protocol, the VR group improved their cognitive performance whereas the Heading group showed no change. Both groups displayed more precise force contractions at post-test. However, the VR group displayed elevated frontal theta activity and global increases in alpha and beta activity during the contraction task, whereas the Heading group did not. Contrary to our expectations, the Heading group displayed elevated CMC, whereas the VR group showed no change.
Our findings indicate a short bout of soccer heading may impair cognitive function and disrupt the organization of efficient neural processes that typically accompany motor skill proficiency. Soccer heading also induced corticomuscular hyperconnectivity, which could represent compensatory brain-muscle communication and an inefficient allocation of increased task-related neuromuscular resources. These initial findings offer insights to the mechanisms behind the impairments experienced after a short bout of repetitive soccer heading.
越来越多的证据表明，反复用头顶足球与神经退行性疾病发病率的增加之间存在联系。即使是短时间的用头顶足球，也已被证明会损害认知能力并扰乱运动控制。然而，我们需要更深入地了解这些即时损伤背后的机制。本研究试图确定短时间的用头顶足球如何在运动任务期间改变大脑功能和脑-肌肉通信。
60名足球运动员被分为两组，一组进行短时间的头顶足球训练（即，用手臂下投方式投20个球；n = 30），另一组为对照组（n = 30），在虚拟现实（VR）环境中进行头球练习。在头球训练前后，我们测量了King-Devick测试中的认知能力，以及在力量精确任务期间的肌电图（EMG）、脑电图（EEG）和脑-肌肉通信（即皮质-肌肉相干性；CMC）。
按照头球训练方案进行训练后，VR组的认知能力有所提高，而头球组则没有变化。两组在测试后均表现出更精确的力量收缩。然而，在收缩任务期间，VR组的额叶θ活动升高，α和β活动整体增加，而头球组则没有。与我们的预期相反，头球组的CMC升高，而VR组没有变化。
我们的研究结果表明，短时间的用头顶足球可能会损害认知功能，并扰乱通常伴随运动技能熟练程度的高效神经过程的组织。用头顶足球还会诱发皮质-肌肉超连接，这可能代表了补偿性的脑-肌肉通信以及与任务相关的神经肌肉资源增加的低效分配。这些初步研究结果为短时间反复用头顶足球后出现的损伤背后的机制提供了见解。
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