Sex differences in baseline neuropsychological function and concussion symptoms of collegiate athletes

Abstract

Objective: To investigate sex differences in baseline neuropsychological function and concussion symptoms between male and female collegiate athletes. Methods: A post-test only design was used to examine baseline neuropsychological test scores and concussion symptoms. A total of 1209 NCAA Division I collegiate athletes from five northeastern universities in the USA completed a baseline ImPACT test. ImPACT, a computerised neuropsychological test battery, was administered during an athlete's pre-season. Results: Female athletes performed significantly better than male athletes on baseline verbal memory scores (p = 0.001), while male athletes performed significantly better than female athletes on baseline visual memory scores (p = 0.001). Female athletes endorsed a significant number of mild baseline symptoms as compared to male athletes. Conclusions: Male and female athletes exhibit differences on baseline neuropsychological test performance and concussion symptoms.