The Einstein Soccer Study
The Einstein Soccer Study examined the impact of soccer ‘heading’ on the brain over the short and long term. Integrating neuroimaging, cognitive testing and genomics, the Einstein Soccer Study aimed to determine the relationship between sub-concussive head injury in adult amateur soccer players, their brain structure, and its relationship to functioning.
If you’re a researcher interested in HeadCount, visit our HeadCount Assessment Tools page.
To learn about our new study, visit the New York Fitness Cohort page.
News and Media
CNN July 15, 2015
Study Looks at Concussions in Youth Soccer
THE NEW YORK TIMES February 26, 2014
Brain Trauma Extends to the Soccer Field
CNN June 11, 2013
Heading a Soccer Ball May be Bad for the Brain
PRESS RELEASE February 27, 2013
Einstein Receives $3 Million to Study Impact of Soccer Heading on the Brain
Frequent “Heading” in Soccer Can Lead to Brain Injury and Cognitive Impairment
Carla Garcia
Einstein Soccer Study Participant
Publications
YE 2022
Ye, K., Fleysher, R., Lipton, R.B., Zimmerman, M.E., Stewart ,W.F., Sliwinski, M.J., Kim, M., Lipton, M.L., Repetitive soccer heading adversely impacts short-term learning among adult women. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, August 26, 2022.
LEVITCH 2020
Levitch, C.F., McConathey, E., Aghvinian, M., Himmelstein, M., Lipton, M. L., Zimmerman, M.E., The Impact of Sleep on the Relationship between Soccer Heading Exposure and Neuropsychological Function in College-Age Soccer Players. J Int Neuropsychol Soc, 2020: p. 1-12.
HUNTER 2020
Hunter, L.E., Freudenberg-Hua, Y., Davies, P., Kim, M., Lipton, R.B., Stewart, W. F., Srinvasan, P., Hu, S., Lipton, M.L., Associations of Apolipoprotein E ε4 Genotype and Ball Heading With Verbal Memory in Amateur Soccer Players. JAMA Neurol, 2020.
LIPTON 2019
Lipton, M.L., Rethinking Youth Sports. Cerebrum, 2019. 2019.
HUNTER 2019
Hunter, L.E., C.A. Branch, and M.L. Lipton, The neurobiological effects of repetitive head impacts in collision sports. Neurobiol Dis, 2019. 123: p. 122-126.
SURI 2018
Suri, A.K. and M.L. Lipton, Neuroimaging of brain trauma in sports. Handb Clin Neurol, 2018. 158: p. 205-216.
RUBIN 2018
Rubin, T.G., Catenaccio, E., Fleysher, R., Hunter, L. E., Lubin, N., Stewart, W.F., Kim, M., Lipton, R.B., Lipton, M. L., MRI-defined White Matter Microstructural Alteration Associated with Soccer Heading Is More Extensive in Women than Men. Radiology, 2018. 289(2): p. 478-486.
LEVITCH 2018
Levitch, C.F., Ifrah, C., Kim, M., Stewart, W. F., Lipton, R. B., Zimmerman, M. E., Lipton, M. L., Personality and Risk Taking in Sports: A Focus on Unintentional and Intentional Head Impacts in Amateur Soccer Players. Clin J Sport Med, 2018.
HUNTER 2018
Hunter, L.E., Ifrah, C., Zimmerman, M. E., Kim, M., Lipton, R. B., Stewart, W.F., Lipton, M.L., Heading and unintentional head impacts have opposing associations with Patient Reported Outcomes in amateur soccer players. Res Sports Med, 2018. 26(4): p. 390-400.
GOLDMAN-YASSEN 2018
Goldman-Yassen, A.E., Chen, K. X., Edasery, D., Hsu, K., Ye, K., Lipton, M. L., Near-Term Decrease in Brain Volume following Mild Traumatic Injury Is Detectible in the Context of Preinjury Volumetric Stability: Neurobiologic Insights from Analysis of Historical Imaging Examinations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2018. 39(10): p. 1821-1826.
BROGLIO 2018
Broglio, S.P., Kontos, A. P., Levin, H., Schneider, K., Wilde, E. A., Cantu, R. C., Feddermann-Demont, N., Fuller, G. W., Gagnon, I., Gioia, G. A., Giza, C., Griesbach, G. S., Leddy, J. J., Lipton, M. L., Mayer, A. R., McAllister, T. W., McCrea, M., McKenzie, L. B., Putukian, M., Signoretti, S., Suskauer, S. J., Tamburro, R., Turner, M., Yeates, K. O., Zemek, R., Ala’i, S., Esterlitz, J. Gay, K., Bellgowan, P. S. F., Joseph, K., National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Department of Defense Sport-Related Concussion Common Data Elements Version 1.0 Recommendations. J Neurotrauma, 2018. 35(23): p. 2776-2783.
STEWART 2018
Stewart WF, Kim N, Ifrah C, Sliwinski M, Zimmerman ME, Kim M, Lipton RB, Lipton ML, Heading Frequency Is More Strongly Related to Cognitive Performance Than Unintentional Head Impacts in Amateur Soccer Players, Frontiers in Neurology, 2018, 9:240, doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00240.
LEVITCH 2017
Levitch CF, Zimmerman ME, Lubin N, Kim N, Lipton RB, Stewart WF, Kim M, Lipton ML, Recent and Long-Term Soccer Heading Exposure Is Differentially Associated With Neuropsychological Function in Amateur Players, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Association 2017 23:1-9
LIPTON 2017
Lipton ML, Ifrah C, Stewart WF, Fleysher R, Sliwinski MJ, Kim M, Lipton RB, Validation of HeadCount-2w for estimation of two-week heading: Comparison to daily reporting in adult amateur player, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2017, in press.
CATENACCIO 2017
Catenaccio E, Mu W, Kaplan A, Fleysher R, Kim N, Bachrach T, Zughaft Sears M, Jaspan O, Caccese J, Kim M, Wagshul M, Stewart WF, Lipton RB, Lipton ML. Characterization of Neck Strength in Healthy Young Adults. PM&R 2017, pii:S1934-1482(17)30132-6.
STEWART 2017
Stewart WF, Kim N, Ifrah CS, Lipton RB, Bachrach TA, Zimmerman ME, Kim M, Lipton ML. Symptoms from repeated intentional and unintentional head impact in soccer players. Neurology 2017, 88(9):901-908.
CATENACCIO 2016
Catenaccio ER, Caccese J, Wakschlag N, Fleysher R, Kim N, Kim M, Buckley TA, Stewart WF, Lipton RB, Kaminski T, Lipton ML, Validation and calibration of HeadCount, a self-report measure for quantifying heading exposure in soccer players, Research in Sports Medicine, 2016 24(4):416-425.
LIPTON 2013
Lipton ML, Kim N, Zimmerman ME, Kim M, Stewart WF, Branch CA, Lipton RB, Soccer Heading is Associated with White Matter Microstructural and Cognitive Abnormalities, Radiology 2013, 268(3):850-7