If you have been watching the news or listening to the growing debate around concussion in sport, this research study adds another reason for action. Dr William Stewart’s work is used here to frame the issue, and HIT is positioned as part of the response.

Neurodegenerative disease refers to conditions in which cells of the central nervous system stop working or die, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, motor neuron disease, and Huntington’s disease.

The article links head impacts gained during sporting activity with a contributing role in later-life disease, making the findings relevant not just to football but to public health more broadly.

“Former professional contact sports athletes are recognised as having higher mortality from dementia and a range of other neurodegenerative diseases.”

Study summary

The long-term implications are clear: repeated head trauma can affect memory, behaviour, and cognition, and the burden is felt beyond sport in care homes, NHS services, and family life.

One key recommendation from the study is to reduce head impact exposure, which aligns directly with HIT’s approach of providing data so players and coaches can make safer decisions.

Heading in football remains part of the game, but HIT aims to make it safer rather than change it. The product can be trained with, used to monitor impacts, and relied on to help create a “brain log” of exposure.

The study also shows that risk varies by field position, with goalkeepers at lower risk than outfield players, reinforcing the link between heading exposure and long-term neurological concerns.

Continued research, including larger studies and female comparison data, will help shape better recommendations. Until then, HIT’s role is to support a more brain-trauma-informed sporting culture.