title: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and sports: a case-control study.
abstract: An increased incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) amongst soccer players in Italy has recently been reported. A case-control study (300 cases and 300 matched controls) was conducted to explore the association between ALS and physical/sports activities, with specific reference to trauma-related risk. Neither the practice of competitive sports nor sports-related traumas were found to be associated with an increased risk of ALS. The practice of physical activities or sports is not per se a risk factor for ALS. Our results exclude sports-related microtraumas as etiopathogenic factors in the natural history of ALS.
authors.affiliation: Section of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Human Movement and Sports Science, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. valenti@cc.univaq.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Pontieri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altobelli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manzoni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*