Neurocognitive Resilience in Collegiate Rugby Athletes: A Study of Sex Differences in Eye-Tracking and Reaction Time

Authors: Reese Clark, Chelsea Christie

Field of Study: Health and Wellness

Faculty Mentors: Vipul Lugade

Easel: 24

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Concussions and repeated head impacts in sports pose significant risks, with males and females potentially affected differently. Studies show that female athletes experience greater brain changes after repeated impacts despite protective effects from estrogen (Sollmann et al., 2017; Churchill et al., 2021). This study examines differences in reaction time and eye-tracking performance between male and female collegiate rugby players. It is hypothesized that female players will show smaller declines in performance, while males will have slower reaction times. Data were collected before and after the season using eye-tracking tests and reaction time tasks, including drop stick and finger reaction tests. Early data suggest male players generally have slower reaction times than females, consistent with previous findings (Gallagher et al., 2021). This study will analyze pre- and post-season performance to examine gender differences. Future studies will investigate brain matter differences using MRI to strengthen understanding of gender-based resilience to head impacts.