Dr Adrian Cohen, Concussion researcher from Headsafe, joins Michael to discuss a new report from the U.K.s Drake Foundation that found participation in elite adult rugby may be associated with changes in brain structure.

The study of 44 elite rugby players, almost half of whom had recently sustained a mild head injury while playing, found a significant proportion of the rugby players had signs of abnormalities to the white matter, in addition to abnormal changes in white matter volume over time.

White matter is the ‘wiring’ of the brain, and helps brain cells communicate with each other. The research team say more work is now needed to investigate the long-term effects of professional rugby on brain health.