title: Sex-Related Differences in Emotion Recognition in Multi-concussed Athletes.
abstract: Concussion is defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain. Although the cumulative and long-term effects of multiple concussions are now well documented on cognitive and motor function, little is known about their effects on emotion recognition. Recent studies have suggested that concussion can result in emotional sequelae, particularly in females and multi-concussed athletes. The objective of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in emotion recognition in asymptomatic male and female multi-concussed athletes.
  
  
  
  We tested 28 control athletes (15 males) and 22 multi-concussed athletes (10 males) more than a year since the last concussion. Participants completed the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, a neuropsychological test battery and a morphed emotion recognition task. Pictures of a male face expressing basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) morphed with another emotion were randomly presented. After each face presentation, participants were asked to indicate the emotion expressed by the face.
  
  
  
  Results revealed significant sex by group interactions in accuracy and intensity threshold for negative emotions, together with significant main effects of emotion and group.
  
  
  
  Male concussed athletes were significantly impaired in recognizing negative emotions and needed more emotional intensity to correctly identify these emotions, compared to same-sex controls. In contrast, female concussed athletes performed similarly to same-sex controls. These findings suggest that sex significantly modulates concussion effects on emotional facial expression recognition. (JINS, 2017, 23, 65-77).
authors.affiliation: 1Département de psychologie,Université du Québec à Montréal,Montréal,Québec,Canada.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Léveillé
authors.affiliation: 3Département de psychologie,Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières,Trois-Rivières,Québec,Canada.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guay
authors.affiliation: 4Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie,Université du Québec en Outaouais,Gatineau,Québec,Canada.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.affiliation: 1Département de psychologie,Université du Québec à Montréal,Montréal,Québec,Canada.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scherzer
authors.affiliation: 2Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal,Montréal,Québec,Canada.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Beaumont
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Concussion; Depression; Emotional facial expression; Gender differences; Sport