Does Swedish amateur boxing lead to chronic brain damage? 4. A retrospective neuropsychological study.

Does Swedish amateur boxing lead to any permanent neuropsychological deficit, caused by chronic brain damage? Fifty Swedish former amateur boxers, 25 soccer players, and 25 track and field athletes were investigated by standardized neuropsychological tests. In only one test did the groups differ significantly. Boxers who had taken part in a large number of bouts had a slightly inferior finger-tapping performance. None of the boxers were considered to have definite signs of intellectual impairment. In conclusion modern Swedish amateur boxing does not seem to lead to significant signs of neuropsychological impairment or "punch drunkenness", nor does it seem to differ in this respect from soccer playing or track and field sports.