Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40427919›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2025

Neurodegenerative Disease and Association Football (NDAF): Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Nathan E Howarth, Chen Ji, John Batten, Alan J Pearce, Helen Dawes, Adam J White, Gabriele DeLuca, Samantha Bureau, Christopher J Nowinski, Michelle A Miller

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Engaging Teenage Grassroots Soccer Players in Sports-Related Concussion Education.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Nathan E HowarthWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
Chen JiWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4919-3299
John BattenFaculty of Health and Wellbeing, University of Winchester, Winchester SO22 4NR, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7499-7817
Alan J PearceSwinburne Neuroimaging Facility, School of Health Science, Swinburne University, Melbourne 3122, Australia.
Helen DawesNIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2933-5213
Adam J WhiteWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6865-8197
Gabriele DeLucaNIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
Samantha BureauConcussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Christopher J NowinskiConcussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4378-6149
Michelle A MillerWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6696-0923

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There is increasing concern that head injuries in Association Football (or soccer) may lead to adverse health outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether head impacts or injuries are associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. We performed a systematic search using PubMed, Embase, and Ovid (up to April 2025). Studies included investigated neurodegenerative diseases in football in comparison to control athletic and general populations. Data were extracted according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies with an odds ratio (OR) were included in the meta-analysis. A total of ten studies were included in this review, of which nine were suitable for meta-analysis from eight cohorts. The risk for developing any neurodegeneration was 1.69 OR (95%CI 1.11 to 2.59;

Indexed as

FootballNeurodegenerative DiseasesSoccerHumansRisk Factorsassociation footballconcussionhead impactneurodegeneration

Identifiers

PMID40427919
PMCPMC12111588

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.