title: The role of concussion history and gender in recovery from soccer-related concussion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to investigate differences in recovery in male and female soccer athletes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Soccer players with a history of concussion will perform worse on neurocognitive testing than players without a history of concussion. Furthermore, female athletes will demonstrate poorer performance on neurocognitive testing than male athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study (prognosis): Level of evidence, 2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computer-based neuropsychological testing using reaction time, memory, and visual motor-speed composite scores of the ImPACT test battery was performed postconcussion in soccer players ranging in age from 8 to 24 years (N = 234; 141 females, 93 males). A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine group differences in neurocognitive performance between male and female athletes with and without a history of concussion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Soccer players with a history of at least 1 previous concussion performed significantly worse on ImPACT than those who had not sustained a prior concussion (F = 2.92, P =.03). In addition, female soccer players performed worse on neurocognitive testing (F = 2.72, P =.05) and also reported more symptoms (F = 20.1, P =.00001) than male soccer players. There was no significant difference in body mass index between male and female players (F =.04, P =.85).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A history of concussion and gender may account for significant differences in postconcussive neurocognitive test scores in soccer players and may play a role in determining recovery. These differences do not appear to reflect differences in mass between genders and may be related to other gender-specific factors that deserve further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 5 East 98th St, Box 1188, New York, NY 10029, USA. alexis.colvin@mountsinai.org
authors.forename: Alexis Chiang
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Colvin
authors.forename: Jimmy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lovell
authors.forename: Robin Vereeke
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Micky W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult