Contact sports linked to onset of Parkinson’s

Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, US have found a link between engaging in contact sports such as American football, boxing and ice hockey – and developing neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s.

The study – published in the ‘Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology’ – found that engaging in contact sports increased the risk of developing Lewy body disease – a condition which is caused by deposits of protein forming inside brain cells and can lead to Parkinson’s.

After studying 694 brains, researchers concluded that those who had played contact sports for more than eight years developed neurological conditions at six times the rate of those that did not.

Dr Thor Stein, the author of the study, said: “We found the number of years an individual was exposed to contact sports, including football, ice hockey, and boxing, was associated with Parkinsonism and dementia.”