Acute Neural Biomarker Elevations After Amateur Soccer Heading: Insights Into Potential Brain Injury

Highlight

• Amateur soccer heading acutely elevates blood biomarkers p-tau217 and S100B, markers linked to neural damage.
• There is a dose-response relationship: increased heading frequency and impact intensity correlate with larger biomarker rises.
• Biomarker levels normalize within 24 to 48 hours, indicating transient acute neural stress rather than lasting biomarker elevation.
• Findings raise awareness about potential short-term neural effects of heading even at amateur levels, underscoring the need for cautious heading practices and monitoring.

Study Background