Previous research has advised against the practice of heading a soccer ball. New research confirms possible brain injury from heading the ball by amateur soccer players along with better understanding of what happens in the brain. The study, appearing in the journal Neurology, grouped amateur soccer players into four categories, from least number of headers per year to the greatest number. Findings were based on the number of headers over the previous year and the athlete’s ability to remember accurately. Based on brain scans, the study found that athletes who experienced more head impacts had more disruptions within a specific layer in the folds of the brain and these disruptions were also linked to poorer performance on thinking and memory tests.