A prospective controlled investigation of the cognitive effects of amateur boxing.
Eighty six amateur boxers underwent a series of neuropsychological assessments on three occasions--pre bout, immediate post bout and follow up within two years; 31 water polo players and 47 rugby union players acted as controls. The neuropsychological tests were selected as being sensitive to subtle cognitive dysfunction and formed part of a battery of other neurological and ophthalmic assessments. No evidence of neuropsychological dysfunction due to boxing was found, either following a bout or a series of bouts at follow up. None of a range of parameters including number of previous contests, recovery from an earlier bout, number of head blows received during a bout and number of bouts between initial assessment and follow up, were found to be related to changes in cognitive functioning.
Butler
R J
RJ
Department of Clinical Psychology, High Royds Hospital, Ilkley, Leeds, UK.
Forsythe
W I
WI
Beverly
D W
DW
Adams
L M
LM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001914:Boxing / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies