Head and concussion research in women's football: the great project of Greek scientists

“Female athletes are concussed twice as often as men, and the consequences are more severe,” says Giorgos Kakavas, a physical therapist and neuroscientist with a PhD at the University of Thessaly.

the Women's football Located in Jumping course Along the length and breadth of the land. They are making a difference in America Their own training facilities and stadiums. the world He fills the stands in England And Australiaa job run out On stages of more than 50,000 seats. In the field of transfers, we see that the amounts spent now contain many zeros… Sports brands design custom t-shirts for the women's divisionsFor her, for example Bayern Munich.

All this comes after quite successful events. The European Nations Cup in England and the World Cup last summer: female footballers demand and achieve equal pay and working conditions at the national level with their male colleagues. Of course all the steps taken have been great, but there is still a way to go…

An unexplored area is that of injuries. As is the case for example of sacral rupture in which women have been observed to be more at risk. Talking to «Inside WSL» Earlier this season, Specialist in women's health doctor. Emma Ross explained: “We know that female athletes are up to six times more likely to suffer non-contact ligament injuries than their male counterparts.

In this context, Greek scientists are preparing a study on concussions in women's football in cooperation with Queen Mary University of London.

“A concussion is the change in neurological function as a result of a blow or jolt to the head. Violent movement of the head causes a temporary release of various neurotransmitters that imbalance the brain’s signal. It can also cause nerve tissue to swell and reduce blood flow to the brain – and with it glucose and oxygen – Which deprives our nerve cells of fuel.He explains Physiotherapist – Neuroscientist Mr. Kakavas.

“Immediate symptoms include seeing stars, feeling dizzy and disoriented, or losing consciousness completely. Many people also experience post-concussion syndrome long after the event, with a host of persistent symptoms including nausea, headaches, dizziness, and mental confusion. These can last for weeks, months, or even years. Some studies suggest that concussions may also be associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation, and there are concerns that repeated injuries can lead to long-term brain damage and degeneration.

In a previous interview with Gazeta, Mr. Kakavas mentioned this “Boys' sports accounted for 53% of athlete exposures and 75% of all concussions. Football accounted for more than half of all concussions and had the highest incidence rate (0.60). Women's soccer had the highest number of concussions among girls and the second highest rate Incidence among all 12 sports (0.35). Concussion rate increased 4.2-fold over 11 years (15.5% annual increase). In similar sports for boys and girls (baseball/softball, basketball, and soccer), girls were more “Twice as likely as boys to sustain concussions. The rate of concussions has increased over time in all 12 sports.”

Previous search It has been shown that head injuries can temporarily disrupt the production of various hormones, including progesterone.

-Consistent with this hypothesis, several studies have found that women who take birth control pills are also less likely to experience severe symptoms after a concussion.

One study found that men and women are likely to exhibit different symptoms after a concussion — men, for example, are more likely to experience memory loss in the following days and weeks, while women experience persistent headaches, mental fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

-Another suggests that women may be at greater risk depending on what stage of their menstrual cycle they are in.

World Rugby said in 2023 that not enough research had been done into concussion in the women's game.

the FIFA, for its part He funded a research project, being conducted at the Institute of Sport and Health in London, to focus on it The effect of spherical head on women's brain health.

The study will also examine whether the menstrual cycle affects cognitive function, as men's and women's soccer are played on the same pitches and with the same ball size, but current research does not mitigate differences in physiology.

Our team translated it Scat 6 The Greek language is the most important recognition tool by concussion experts in sports. Also in cooperation with Department of Sports Medicine, Queen Mary University of London He will run a research project under his auspices UEFA Medical Department. to Head and concussion In female footballers in Greece and the United Kingdom.

Teams like Manchester United And the Manchester city And others in order to better understand this important disease and the extent to which it affects female football players.

Any female footballer – from 18 to 55 years old – who has been active for at least the past three years and would like to take part in the survey can contact us (instagram.com/gazzettawomen) And bring them into contact with researchers. Or contact directly on the emails mentioned above.
The process is simple in the form of a questionnaire.