An international research project, which aims to examine the long-term effects of concussion in sport, has been launched in Dublin.

The Concussion in Sport project wants to establish whether retired sports people have an increased incidence of, or suffer earlier onset of, neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

The independent project is being run by the International Concussion and Head Injury Research Foundation (ICHIRF) and is open to all sports people. However, it will initially focus on retired Irish, British and French jockeys because of the high incidence of concussion in the sport of horse racing.

A concussion usually occurs following a blow to the head and can temporarily affect how the brain works. Symptoms can include headache, blurred vision, a loss of consciousness, confusion and nausea.

Concussion is seen as a contentious issue in the area of sport and according to the ICHIRF, high quality and independent research is ‘long overdue'.

"We believe this unique international research project will lead to a watershed moment for all sports, with future governing bodies being able to address the subject of concussion, armed with the facts and statistics relating to the safety of all athletes," commented ICHIRF chairman, Lord Colin Moynihan.

Speaking at the launch of the project, retired British jockey, Richard Dunwoody, pointed out that professional jockeys have a fall, on average, every 14 rides.

"It was accepted that we would suffer concussion, but we gave little thought as to what the long-term effects of repetitive head injuries would be, so this is an important research project, not only for racing, but for all sports. It will be of great benefit to establish the facts regarding the effects of concussion and to be able to minimise risks for athletes in the future," he said.

Retired sports people from all sports can enroll in the Concussion in Sport project and the ICHIRF is also appealing to members of the public who have never had a concussion to take part as the study's ‘control group'.

To get involved, volunteers should complete a registration form here. Once this has been logged, the participants will be offered the opportunity to complete an online questionnaire on an annual basis.

Among those who complete the online questionnaire, a number will be invited to attend for detailed medical screening. This will initially take place in London, but later in the year, Irish volunteers will be screened at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin. An additional screening centre is also expected to be opened in Paris in 2017.

The costs of screening and any travel will be covered by the ICHIRF.