Single head injury may lead to dementia, scientists warn

ONE serious head injury on the sports field could be enough to trigger dementia in later life, a study suggests.

The research by Imperial College London, which highlights the risk of single head injuries, comes amid growing concern about the damage that could be suffered playing football.

The study scanned 21 patients who had experienced severe head injuries at least 18 years ago, and compared them with 11 individuals who had not.

For the first time, scans of living patients found protein “tangles” in the brains of those who had suffered a single head injury. Protein tangles are found in Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and associated with progressive nerve damage.

Scientists already knew that repeated head injury – such as those sustained in boxing, football and rugby – could lead to neurodegeneration and dementia in later life, with strong links to a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

However, this is the first time scientists have seen the protein tangles in living patients who have suffered a single, severe head injury.

The findings, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, follow a campaign by The Daily Telegraph for research into the prevalence of dementia among former footballers.

Dr Nikos Gorgoraptis, the study’s lead author, said: “Scientists increasingly realise that head injuries have a lasting legacy in the brain – and can continue to cause damage decades after the initial injury.”