HEADING a football could have a "small but significant" effect on the brain, researchers have found in a new study.

Academics from the University of Stirling have looked at the impact of heading a football and identified changes in brain function immediately after a routine heading practice.

The researchers say the study is the first to detect direct changes in the brain after players are exposed to everyday head impacts, as opposed to clinical brain injuries like concussion.

For the experiment, a group of football players headed a ball 20 times after it was fired from a machine designed to simulate the pace and power of a corner kick.

Scientists tested players' brain function and memory both before and after the sessions, and found "increased inhibition in the brain" after just a single session.

They also found that memory test performance was also reduced by 41 and 67 per cent, thought the effects were normalised within 24 hours.

However they cautioned that the changes to the brain remain temporary after repeated exposure to a football and the long-term consequences of heading on brain health were yet to be investigated.

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr Magdalena Ietswaart, from the University of Stirling, said they wanted to see if brains reacted instantly to heading a football, after "growing concern about the effects of contact sport on brain health".

She said:"Using a drill most amateur and professional teams would be familiar with, we found there was, in fact, increased inhibition in the brain immediately after heading and that performance on memory tests was reduced significantly.

"Although the changes were temporary, we believe they are significant to brain health, particularly if they happen over and over again as they do in football heading.

"With large numbers of people around the world participating in this sport, it is important that they are aware of what is happening inside the brain and the lasting effect this may have."

The study, called 'Evidence for acute electrophysiological and cognitive changes following routine soccer heading' is published in the journal EBioMedicine.

Dr Angus Hunter, from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, added: "For the first time, sporting bodies and members of the public can see clear evidence of the risks associated with repetitive impact caused by heading a football.

"We hope these findings will open up new approaches for detecting, monitoring and preventing cumulative brain injuries in sport.

"We need to safeguard the long term health of football players at all levels, as well as individuals involved in other contact sports."

Recently, there has been a focus on the possible link between brain injury in sport and an increased risk of dementia, including whether football heading might lead to long term consequences for the brain.

In 1999, former Celtic player Billy McPhail lost his legal case for disablement benefit over a claim that he developed the first stages of senile dementia as a result of heading the old-fashioned leather footballs.

McPhail had displayed signs of dementia since his 30s, and was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

However, the tribunal would not consider whether heading the ball might have contributed, as it was "part of the job as a footballer". He died in 2003.