McQueen Links Dementia to Frequent Ball Heading
Recent discussions surrounding the health impacts of football have gained momentum with the case of Gordon McQueen, a former professional player. His family has noted a troubling decline in his cognitive abilities, linking it to his extensive career in football.
Link Between Dementia and Frequent Heading of the Ball
Hayley McQueen described her father’s struggles with dementia, highlighting his confusion about time and loss of everyday skills. She recounted how he could no longer perform simple tasks, such as making a cup of tea, and expressed feelings of something being “not right” in his head.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Professor Willie Stewart, a consultant neurologist at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, provided insights into McQueen’s condition. After examining McQueen’s brain post-mortem, he identified notable signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Stewart explained that while McQueen exhibited symptoms typical of the lower stage of the disease, he was close to exhibiting signs of a higher stage as well.
- Symptoms of CTE include cognitive decline.
- Neurobehavioral changes are significant indicators.
- Progressive decline cannot be attributed to other conditions.
Stewart affirmed that the degeneration observed was common in individuals with long careers in contact sports, including football and rugby. He confirmed a causal relationship between CTE and repetitive head injuries, clarifying that more prominent risks were found among certain positions in football.
Post-Mortem Findings
Senior coroner John Heath reported post-mortem findings, confirming pneumonia in McQueen’s right lung, along with mixed vascular dementia and CTE. Research conducted by Stewart indicated that players in outfield positions, particularly defenders, had a significantly higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases compared to goalkeepers, who typically do not head the ball.
The ongoing inquest is expected to further explore the implications of McQueen’s case and the potential connection between frequent heading of the ball and dementia in professional athletes. The examination of McQueen’s health issues serves as a crucial case study within the broader discourse on sports-related brain injuries.
