How the time between repeated soccer headers affects brain and eye health
Official title: Defining the Role of Repetitive Head Impact Time Intervals in Mitigating Subconcussive Neural Injury
Run by Indiana University · NCT07010887 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This test sees if shorter (24-hour) versus longer (72-hour) gaps between repeated soccer headers change brain and eye measures in current soccer players who routinely head the ball.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 35 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 102 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Indiana University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Bloomington, Indiana) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 5, 2025 |
| Main results expected | September 2028 |
| Study ends | September 2028 |
| Registry record updated | May 4, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07010887 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are current soccer players (intercollegiate, club, intramural, or recreational) with at least five years of heading experience who can provide informed consent and complete study procedures.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with a head, neck, or face injury or concussion within the past six months, or those with eye diseases affecting retinal blood vessels (for example glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy), are excluded and unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized, controlled human-laboratory experiment exposes experienced soccer players to standardized repetitive head impacts with either short (24-hour) or long (72-hour) intervals between impact clusters over four weeks. Researchers will collect blood and biofluid samples for proteomic and transcriptomic biomarkers, perform retinal imaging (OCT), ocular-motor testing (convergence and pupillometry), and record qEEG with a BrainScope device. Outcomes will be measured acutely after impacts, cumulatively after repeated exposures across four weeks, and during a two-week post-exposure follow-up. The design isolates direction, magnitude, and frequency of impacts to test how time between clusters influences cellular, physiological, and functional integrity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify safer timing for repetitive head-impact exposure and help reduce cumulative brain and eye changes in people who head the ball frequently.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has shown that repeated subconcussive impacts can produce biomarker and ocular changes, but using randomized interval comparisons to test 24‑ versus 72‑hour spacing is a novel application of those methods.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Current soccer player (intercollegiate, club, intramural, recreational). * At least 5 years of soccer heading experience (justification below). * Ability to provide informed consent without a legally authorized representative (LAR). Exclusion Criteria: * Any head, neck, or face injury within the 6 months prior to enrollment, including concussions, that precludes participation in contact sports. * Participants with eye conditions or diseases that could impact the blood vessels in the eye -such as but not limited to: glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy. * Determination that the participant is unsuitable for study entry or potentially unable to complete all aspects of the study based on the judgement of the Investigator.
Where it's running
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Indiana University School of Public Health
Bloomington, Indiana, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Keisuke Kawata, PhD — Indiana University Bloomington Department of Kineseology
- Study coordinator: Keisuke Kawata, PhD
- Email: kkawata@indiana.edu
- Phone: 812-855-5244
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.