Neurocognitive Function Domains Are Not Affected in Active Professional Male Footballers, but Attention Deficits and Impairments Are Associated with Concussion.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the neurocognitive function of active professional male footballers, determine whether deficits/impairments exist, and investigate the association between previous concussion(s) and neurocognitive function.

METHODS

An observational cross-sectional study conducted via electronic questionnaires. The CNS Vital Signs online testing system was used to evaluate neurocognitive function.

RESULTS

Of the 101 participants, 91 completed the neurocognitive function testing. Neurocognitive function domain deficits or impairments were unlikely in 54.5-89.1%, slight in 5.9-21.8%, moderate in 1.0-9.9%, and likely in 4.0-14.9% of participants. A history of zero concussions found a significant association between the neurocognitive index (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.6; 95% CI 0.2-0.4) and complex attention domain (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-0.9), with 40% and 70% less odds, respectively, of deficit/impairment. Among the 54.5% who reported any number of concussions, there were increased odds of neurocognitive domain deficits/impairments for complex attention (CA) [3.4 times more] and simple attention (SA) [3.1 times more].

CONCLUSION

In the active professional male footballer, most neurocognitive functions do not have significant deficits/impairments. The odds of neurocognitive function deficit/impairment were significantly increased threefold for CA and SA in those who reported a history of any concussion(s).