Ieuan Phillips, a 25-year-old researcher, is dedicating his doctoral work to understanding the effects of heading a football on players' brains, aiming to prevent neurodegenerative diseases like dementia in future generations.
Phillips acknowledged the emotional weight of his research, stating, "It weighs on me, I suppose, that perhaps this research has come a little bit too late for some people. We don't know what their neurodegeneration outcome will be." He expressed that the hope for future generations is a significant motivator, providing a focus and direction for the ongoing work.
While acknowledging studies suggesting an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease among footballers, Phillips pointed out that the raw numbers remain statistically small. He stressed that this is an area for continued scientific observation but cautioned against undue panic, noting that measures can be taken to address the pressure waves associated with heading a ball.
Phillips emphasized the need for further research to translate current findings into practical applications. His current experiments involve measuring energy in laboratory settings using a dummy head. "What effect that has on the brain remains to be seen," Phillips said. However, he added, "We know that pressure waves are a well-established cause of brain injury, both short and long-term in other contexts."
A key area of interest for Phillips is the potential difference in impact based on skull anatomy. The current experiments utilize a dummy head based on average MRI data from adult Japanese males, sourced from university partners at the Tokyo Institute of Science. "One of the big things I'm really interested in is the differences between males and females," he stated. "One of the big things with the female skull is that it is anatomically slightly different both in thickness and geometry. So that might have an effect, but we haven't studied that yet. I think it is a key thing to look at."