Brain Injury
Athlete Development & Sports Rehabilitation
Oral Presentation
.jpg "Karin Thomas, SLPD, CCC-SLP, CBIST photo")
Karin Thomas, SLPD, CCC-SLP, CBIST
Assistant professor
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
The purpose of this study is to determine if there are differences in concussion symptoms and symptom correlations between male and female high school soccer players early on in symptom reporting. These differences include the type of symptom, the number of symptoms and severity of each symptom as well as the correlation of symptoms reported by the athlete.
Objective : To determine if there were differences in concussion symptom and symptom correlations between male and female high school soccer players in early on symptom reporting.
Design : A retrospective cohort design study.
Setting : Data were collected on the field of play or in the athletic training room after a concussive event and recorded via an electronic record, SportsWareOnLine (SWOL).
Participants (or Animals, Specimens, Cadavers) : Subjects included 38 participants (23 male and 15 female).The participants’ ages range from 14 to 18 years and were comprised of diverse ethnic groups. All participants were soccer players at the varsity and junior varsity levels.
Interventions : Not applicable
Main Outcome Measure(s) : The main outcome measure was based on subject responses to a concussion symtpom self-rating scale from the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT).
Results:
The findings of this study are significant in that they describe gender differences in concussion symptoms in high school soccer players as reported via a self-rated symptom questionnaire. The two populations are not the same in terms of perceived concussive injuries including number, type, (cognitive, behavioral or somatosensory), and severity of symptoms with female reporting higher numbers for each symptom type in comparison to males. The results of a Kruskal Wallis H test revealed that female players reported more severe behavioral and somatosensory symptoms; no significant difference in severity of cognitive symptoms was found. Symptom correlations using Spearman's rho analysis revealed for most symptoms, females had increased number of symptom correlations.
Conclusions : The questions regarding gender differences in concussion symptoms and what this means in terms of clinical treatment and management remain but should continue to be studied.
