Brain WOF for players has support

World Rugby says it has ‘‘actively considered’’ the introduction of annual brain scans to look for signs of decline in players’ brains, but a leading player welfare lobby group has warned they may actually provide ‘‘false reassurance’’ for the sport.

‘‘We do not think that present brain scanning modalities that are generally available are the answer,’’ Professor John Fairclough of the Uk-based group Progressive Rugby told Stuff.

‘‘They may not show changes until damage is advanced. They might also have the effect of falsely reassuring players and organisation that all is well.

‘‘We need prospective and objective measures that detect early changes in cerebral functioning. At this point, carefully monitoring and managing elite player workloads has to be the most effective mitigation.’’

The brain screening idea was floated by former Wales international Alix Popham, who has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Popham is among the group of former players taking legal action against rugby governing bodies as the sport continues to wrestle with concussion and its long-term impact on health.

World Rugby said it had committed more money to looking into brain screening.

‘‘We have actively considered this approach and the advice from our independent expert concussion working group is that there needs to be more research to take an evidence-based position,’’ a spokesman told Stuff. ‘‘As such, World Rugby has committed to funding that research and when we know the findings, we’ll ask the independent experts to make a recommendation to us.’’

Patria Hume, a Professor of

Human Performance at AUT, believes the idea has merit. The world-renowned biomechanist told Stuff that she had long been a supporter of having ‘‘a brain warrant of fitness’’.

‘‘There is new technology available to scan the brain that is much cheaper,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ve got some colleagues who are looking at that.

‘‘There’s a centre in Canada that already provides it. And so instead of having the more expensive Mri-type scanning, which is expensive, and it’s claustrophobic, and it takes a while but it’s good quality data.

‘‘But there is now another option, and if we could get that throughout the world . . . I would like a brain warrant of fitness. We spend more time and money on our cars than we do on ourselves as people.’’

Potential brain scans are just one part of a much broader debate under way throughout rugby and scientific communities about sport and neurodegenerative diseases.

NZ Rugby senior scientist Ken Quarrie summed up the current state of affairs.

‘‘I think people, people generally like to know,’’ he told Stuff. ‘‘Their loved one has been going through difficult times, especially mood changes, or dementia or whatever it might be.

‘‘People like to know what was going on, and there’s an explanation that can help.

‘‘But I think the bigger picture is, what is the relationship between playing sport and health outcomes later in life, and especially playing contact and collision sports? Neurodegenerative diseases, brain health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal issues, osteoarthritis, etc.

‘‘So, we are actively working on a study to examine those issues. We’ve got some very good people involved at the University of Auckland who are on it right now.’’