Cognitive ImpairmentTC COGNCT07910994
A Prospective Study of Cognitive Changes in Retired and Late-Career Professional Soccer Players
An observational study of Cognitive Impairment and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), run by University Hospital, Strasbourg, France.
Trial summary
Repeated head impacts and concussions may be associated with cognitive difficulties and neurodegenerative changes in athletes. Although this association has been studied primarily in contact sports such as boxing and American football, professional football (soccer) players may also be exposed to repetitive head… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 32 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cognitive Impairment, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
- How many people
- 75 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 2 Dec 2026to 1 Mar 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 32 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Participants will be recruited from professional football players at the end of their careers or recently retired who currently play or have previously played for French Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 football clubs. Recruitment will be facilitated through the support of Dr. E. Orhant, Medical Director of the French Football Federation (FFF), and the French National Union of Professional Football Players (UNFP), which maintains a database of retired professional football players.
Who may be able to join
- Male or female participant.
- Aged 32 years or older.
- Covered by a health insurance plan.
- Able to understand the objectives and risks of the study and able to provide informed non-opposition to participation, in accordance with applicable French regulations.
- Professional football player at the end of their career or recently retired, currently playing or having previously played for a French Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 football club.
Who cannot join
- Participant who declines to be informed of any abnormal findings identified during the neuropsychological assessment.
- Participation in another interventional study during an exclusion period, in accordance with applicable regulations.
- Unable to understand the study information or to provide informed non-opposition (e.g., emergency situation or significant comprehension difficulties).
- Subject to a judicial protection measure ("safeguard of justice").
- Subject under guardianship or curatorship.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Repeated head impacts and concussions may be associated with cognitive difficulties and neurodegenerative changes in athletes. Although this association has been studied primarily in contact sports such as boxing and American football, professional football (soccer) players may also be exposed to repetitive head impacts through heading the ball and sustaining concussions.
This prospective study aims to evaluate the cognitive impact of repeated concussions in male and female outfield football players, including late-career and retired professional players. Cognitive function will be assessed using neuropsychological tests and questionnaires evaluating attention, concentration, executive functioning, subjective memory complaints, emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression. Multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will also be performed to characterize brain imaging findings potentially associated with cumulative exposure to repetitive head impacts.
The findings may contribute to a better understanding of potential cognitive and neuroimaging abnormalities in football players and inform future long-term monitoring and preventive strategies.
Read the detailed description
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injury. Initially described in boxers, CTE has subsequently been reported in athletes participating in contact sports, particularly American football. Although football (soccer) is generally associated with fewer head impacts than other contact sports, players are repeatedly exposed to head trauma through heading the ball and may also sustain concussions during their careers.
Several studies have reported an increased risk of cognitive impairment among former professional football players. In addition, neuropathological studies have demonstrated neurodegenerative changes consistent with CTE in some former players. Advanced neuroimaging techniques have also identified subtle structural and functional brain abnormalities in athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts, even in the absence of clinically apparent neurological disease. Similarly, reductions in cognitive performance have been reported in athletes participating in contact sports.
The present prospective study aims to evaluate cognitive function and multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in professional football players who are either approaching the end of their professional careers or have recently retired. The study will assess the presence of cognitive impairment and identify imaging abnormalities that may be associated with cumulative exposure to repetitive head impacts throughout a professional football career.
The identification of early cognitive and neuroimaging abnormalities may contribute to a better understanding of the long-term neurological consequences of professional football participation. Furthermore, the results may support the development of appropriate monitoring programs, facilitate the early detection of cognitive impairment, and inform preventive strategies aimed at reducing the neurological burden associated with repetitive head impacts in both professional and amateur football players.
- Keywords
- Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Cognitive Impairment, Professional Football Players, Soccer, Repetitive Head Impacts, Traumatic Brain Injury
- Medical subject headings
- Cognitive Dysfunction, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Brain Injuries, Traumatic
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Outfield players without concussion history | Male and female outfield soccer players with no history of concussion and a history of repetitive heading exposure (subconcussive head impacts). | |
| Outfield players with a history of concussion | Male and female outfield soccer players with a history of concussion and a history of repetitive heading exposure (subconcussive head impacts). | |
| Goalkeepers without a history of concussion | Male and female soccer goalkeepers with no history of concussion and no history of repetitive heading exposure (subconcussive head impacts). |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Attention and Concentration Assessed by the Computerized d2-R Test
Attention and concentration will be assessed using the computerized d2-R test administered remotely. Performance will be evaluated using standardized test scores according to the test manual.
Measured: baseline
Executive Functioning Assessed by the BRIEF-A Self-Report Questionnaire
Executive functioning and difficulties in everyday executive functioning will be assessed using the self-report version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Raw scores for the clinical scales and composite indices will be converted into standardized T-scores according to the test manual. Higher T-scores indicate greater executive-function difficulties.
Measured: baseline
Executive Functioning Assessed by the BRIEF-A Informant-Report Questionnaire
Executive functioning and difficulties in everyday executive functioning will be assessed using the informant-report version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Raw scores for the clinical scales and composite indices will be converted into standardized T-scores according to the test manual. Higher T-scores indicate greater executive-function difficulties.
Measured: baseline
Subjective Memory Complaints Assessed by the McNair and Kahn Questionnaire
Subjective memory complaints will be assessed using the McNair and Kahn Memory Complaint Questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 45, with higher scores indicating more severe subjective memory complaints.
Measured: baseline
Emotion Regulation Difficulties Assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16)
Difficulties in emotion regulation will be assessed using the 16-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16). The total score ranges from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater difficulties in emotion regulation.
Measured: baseline
Anxiety Symptoms Assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a 7-item patient-reported questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptom severity.
Measured: baseline
Depressive Symptoms Assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a 9-item patient-reported questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptom severity.
Measured: baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Nov 2026
- Study start2 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Mar 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cognitive ImpairmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, Strasbourg, FranceThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07910994
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 9625
- Other IDs
- 2026-A00234-47
- Acronym
- TC COG
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Prospective Study of Cognitive Changes in Retired and Late-Career Professional Soccer Players
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07910994
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TC COG / 9625
- Keywords
- Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Cognitive Impairment, Professional Football Players, Soccer, Repetitive Head Impacts, Traumatic Brain Injury
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Strasbourg, FranceUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 2 Nov 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Repeated head impacts and concussions may be associated with cognitive difficulties and neurodegenerative changes in athletes. Although this association has been studied primarily in contact sports such as boxing and American football, professional football (soccer) players may also be exposed to repetitive head impacts through heading the ball and sustaining concussions.
This prospective study aims to evaluate the cognitive impact of repeated concussions in male and female outfield football players, including late-career and retired professional players. Cognitive function will be assessed using neuropsychological tests and questionnaires evaluating attention, concentration, executive functioning, subjective memory complaints, emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression. Multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will also be performed to characterize brain imaging findings potentially associated with cumulative exposure to repetitive head impacts.
The findings may contribute to a better understanding of potential cognitive and neuroimaging abnormalities in football players and inform future long-term monitoring and preventive strategies.
Detailed description
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injury. Initially described in boxers, CTE has subsequently been reported in athletes participating in contact sports, particularly American football. Although football (soccer) is generally associated with fewer head impacts than other contact sports, players are repeatedly exposed to head trauma through heading the ball and may also sustain concussions during their careers.
Several studies have reported an increased risk of cognitive impairment among former professional football players. In addition, neuropathological studies have demonstrated neurodegenerative changes consistent with CTE in some former players. Advanced neuroimaging techniques have also identified subtle structural and functional brain abnormalities in athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts, even in the absence of clinically apparent neurological disease. Similarly, reductions in cognitive performance have been reported in athletes participating in contact sports.
The present prospective study aims to evaluate cognitive function and multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in professional football players who are either approaching the end of their professional careers or have recently retired. The study will assess the presence of cognitive impairment and identify imaging abnormalities that may be associated with cumulative exposure to repetitive head impacts throughout a professional football career.
The identification of early cognitive and neuroimaging abnormalities may contribute to a better understanding of the long-term neurological consequences of professional football participation. Furthermore, the results may support the development of appropriate monitoring programs, facilitate the early detection of cognitive impairment, and inform preventive strategies aimed at reducing the neurological burden associated with repetitive head impacts in both professional and amateur football players.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Outfield players without concussion history | – | –Male and female outfield soccer players with no history of concussion and a history of repetitive heading exposure (subconcussive head impacts). |
| Outfield players with a history of concussion | – | –Male and female outfield soccer players with a history of concussion and a history of repetitive heading exposure (subconcussive head impacts). |
| Goalkeepers without a history of concussion | – | –Male and female soccer goalkeepers with no history of concussion and no history of repetitive heading exposure (subconcussive head impacts). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 32 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Participants will be recruited from professional football players at the end of their careers or recently retired who currently play or have previously played for French Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 football clubs. Recruitment will be facilitated through the support of Dr. E. Orhant, Medical Director of the French Football Federation (FFF), and the French National Union of Professional Football Players (UNFP), which maintains a database of retired professional football players.
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Male or female participant.
- Aged 32 years or older.
- Covered by a health insurance plan.
- Able to understand the objectives and risks of the study and able to provide informed non-opposition to participation, in accordance with applicable French regulations.
- Professional football player at the end of their career or recently retired, currently playing or having previously played for a French Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 football club.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Participant who declines to be informed of any abnormal findings identified during the neuropsychological assessment.
- Participation in another interventional study during an exclusion period, in accordance with applicable regulations.
- Unable to understand the study information or to provide informed non-opposition (e.g., emergency situation or significant comprehension difficulties).
- Subject to a judicial protection measure ("safeguard of justice").
- Subject under guardianship or curatorship.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Attention and Concentration Assessed by the Computerized d2-R Test
Time frame: baseline
Attention and concentration will be assessed using the computerized d2-R test administered remotely. Performance will be evaluated using standardized test scores according to the test manual.
Executive Functioning Assessed by the BRIEF-A Self-Report Questionnaire
Time frame: baseline
Executive functioning and difficulties in everyday executive functioning will be assessed using the self-report version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Raw scores for the clinical scales and composite indices will be converted into standardized T-scores according to the test manual. Higher T-scores indicate greater executive-function difficulties.
Executive Functioning Assessed by the BRIEF-A Informant-Report Questionnaire
Time frame: baseline
Executive functioning and difficulties in everyday executive functioning will be assessed using the informant-report version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Raw scores for the clinical scales and composite indices will be converted into standardized T-scores according to the test manual. Higher T-scores indicate greater executive-function difficulties.
Subjective Memory Complaints Assessed by the McNair and Kahn Questionnaire
Time frame: baseline
Subjective memory complaints will be assessed using the McNair and Kahn Memory Complaint Questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 45, with higher scores indicating more severe subjective memory complaints.
Emotion Regulation Difficulties Assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16)
Time frame: baseline
Difficulties in emotion regulation will be assessed using the 16-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16). The total score ranges from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater difficulties in emotion regulation.
Anxiety Symptoms Assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
Time frame: baseline
Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a 7-item patient-reported questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptom severity.
Depressive Symptoms Assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Time frame: baseline
Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a 9-item patient-reported questionnaire. The total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptom severity.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Cognitive Impairment and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), run by University Hospital, Strasbourg, France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Stéphane KRAMER, professor (03 88 11 52 66 ext. +33, DRCI@chru-strasbourg.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Attention and Concentration Assessed by the Computerized d2-R Test (time frame: baseline). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2026.