London - (AFP) - An English study published Friday revealed that soccer players are more likely to develop brain health problems after the age of 65 than other individuals.

The study, called Scores, by researchers at the University of East Anglia, relied on online tests to remotely assess cognitive functions and monitor deteriorating brain health.

About 145 professional soccer players participated, including former Crystal Palace striker Mark Bright and former Norwich duo Jeremy Goss and compatriot Ewan Roberts.

The study included 55 former footballers aged 65 or over, and their results were compared with 27 non-football players in the study group aged 65 and over, as well as with a control group of thousands of participants who were combined from other studies and underwent the same tests.

According to the results of the study, former soccer players between the ages of 40 and 50 perform better than the rest of the participants, but the trend reverses with age.

"When they were 65, things started to go downhill," said Dr. Michael Gray, who led the study.

"Football players over the age of 65 have the worst performance in the areas of reaction, executive functions (which include managing and controlling non-routine situations or performing several things at the same time) or positioning. These are clearly early warning signs of deteriorating brain health.

This new study is in line with findings from a survey conducted by the University of Glasgow that found footballers were three and a half times more likely than the general population to die from a neurodegenerative disease such as dementia or Parkinson's.