Adults with a history of marijuana use exhibit greater protections against subconcussive head trauma in comparison to non-users, according to a study published in the journal Cell and epublished by the National Library of Medicine.
For the study researchers from Indiana University examined the relationship between marijuana use and subconcussive head impacts in a cohort of 43 soccer players. Researchers “aimed to test whether chronic cannabis use would be neuroprotective or exacerbating against acute subconcussive head impacts.”
This trial included 43 adult soccer players (Cannabis group using cannabis at least once a week for the past 6 months, n = 24; non-cannabis control group, n = 19).
The study states that “twenty soccer headings, induced by our controlled heading model, significantly impaired ocular-motor function, but the degrees of impairments were less in the cannabis group compared to controls.”
The control group “significantly increased its serum S100B level after heading, whereas no change was observed in the cannabis group.” There was no group difference in serum neurofilament light levels at any time point.”
Researchers state that their data “suggest that chronic cannabis use may be associated with an enhancement of oculomotor functional resiliency and suppression of the neuroinflammatory response following 20 soccer headings.”
You can find the full text of the study by clicking here.
