JAMA Netw Open

Years of playing football tied to worse later-life cognitive, mood deficits

March 5, 2026

A large cross-sectional study of nearly 4,000 former male American football players found that prior football participation was associated with worse cognitive performance and more neuropsychiatric symptoms compared with matched controls without repetitive head impact exposure. Players showed poorer memory scores, more subjective cognitive concerns, and higher depressive symptom scores. A dose-response pattern emerged: more years of play and higher level of competition—particularly professional—were associated with greater executive dysfunction, depressive symptoms, and memory errors. Researchers note these patterns may help clinicians assess symptom risk in aging former players.

Clinical takeaway: Ask about lifetime football exposure when evaluating memory or mood concerns—duration and level of play may help contextualize symptom burden.

Source:

Aaronson A, et al. (2026, February 2). JAMA Netw Open. Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Function in Former American Football Players. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41758517/