Women may fare far worse from a concussion than men, according to an article in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

The study enrolled 234 soccer players (141 females, 93 males), ages 8 to 24 years. The subjects all underwent post-concussion neuropsychological testing for reaction time, memory, and visual motor-speed.

Results revealed that players with a history of at least one previous concussion performed significantly worse on the cognitive tests. “In addition, female soccer players performed worse on neurocognitive testing … and also reported more symptoms … than male soccer players.

The study concludes that “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.”