Former international rugby players are two and a half times more likely than the general population to develop neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study by a team from the University of Glasgow. The risk of developing Parkinson’s disease would also be three times higher for former internationals. That of a motor neurone disease, a type of degenerative disease, would be fifteen times higher, according to the results of the study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
The study, which looked at 412 former Scottish rugby internationals before comparing them to 1,200 people from the general population, adds to previous studies pointing to links between concussions suffered by players and the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
Three former Irish players recently filed a complaint against their federation for repeated concussions. Other players have already initiated legal proceedings against the institutions of rugby, such as the former English hooker Steve Thompson, who testified in the press to suffer from early dementia. According to the study, if the risks are not the same according to the type of neurodegenerative disease, the position of the player would not have an influence.
The researchers note that most of the rugby players studied were amateurs, rugby only becoming professional in 1995, which shows that the risks are not limited to professional athletes. “Instead of talking about extending the seasons and adding new competitions, we should discuss in order to reduce them as much as possible”, explained neuropathology consultant Willie Stewart, who led the research team, taking the example of American football, which reduced contact in training.
“Our concern is particularly about the risk of motor neuron disease among rugby players, which is even higher than for former professional footballers.”
Willie Stewart, neuropathology consultant who led the research teamin the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
Brian Dickie, director of research and development for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, welcomed the study, while calling for further research. “We know that the majority of cases of motor neuron disease involve a complex mix of genetic and environmental risk factors, so the genetic risk factor might be different in elite athletes than in the general population,” he specified.