Female boxing in Italy: 2002-2007 report.

OBJECTIVE: To collect medical data on women's boxing. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study. SETTING: Medical examinations requested by Italian laws. PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective study was conducted on all female boxing competitions in Italy from April 2001 to December 2007. Sixty-one amateur female boxers were evaluated longitudinally. INTERVENTIONS: (1) Retrospective study: All pre-/postmatch medical reports were analysed. (2) Prospective study: Breast, gynaecologic, brain, eyes, ear, nose and throat examinations were carried out. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: (1) Retrospective study: Any injury assessed before/after the match. (2) Prospective study: Health problems which could be related to boxing activity. RESULTS: (1) Retrospective study: Data from 5600 examinations were collected. Precompetition, a medical problem was recorded in three athletes (one conjunctiva hyperemia, one zygomatic bruise, one eyelid haematoma). Post competition, 51/2800 medical checks showed mild common injuries, such as soft tissue facial lesions, epistaxis and hand-wrist problems. Only one concussion was recorded with hospitalisation (for a thorough evaluation). Another athlete was hospitalised for a nasal fracture. (2) Prospective study: Two fibroadenomas, three ovarian cysts and one intramural uterine myoma were diagnosed. In four boxers, non-specific electroencephalographic abnormalities were detected, however, with a normal brain MRI in three (the fourth is still waiting for the radiologic procedure). Nasal septum deviation was common (42.6%) and a transmissive hypoacusia was observed in two athletes. No major eye injuries were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Female boxing seems to be a safe sport with a very low incidence of events requiring hospitalisation. No specific diseases in female boxers could be observed, in particular regarding the breast and reproductive system.

Comparison of baseline neuropsychological testing in amateur versus professional boxers.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study is to investigate cognitive functions in boxers. The study population was composed of 2 groups of male boxers with no history of head concussions (except during boxing): a) 33 amateurs at their first examination; b) 27 professionals. Subjects were requested to: a) fulfill a questionnaire collecting demographic data, level of education, occupational status, boxing record (for professionals), and number of head concussions during boxing; b) undergo a computerized neuropsychological (NP) test (CogSport) measuring simple and complex reaction time (RT). Professionals were significantly (P < 0.0001) older (29.4 +/- 4.19 years) and started boxing at a younger age (14.5 +/- 3.94 vs 20.3 +/- 4.77 years, P < 0.0001) than debutants (24.1 +/- 5.13 years). Debutants showed significantly shorter simple RTs than professionals, both at the beginning (0.244 +/- 0.007 vs 0.249 +/- 0.007 s, P = 0.005) and the end (0.247 +/- 0.007 vs 0.251 +/- 0.008 s, P = 0.028) of NP test. Complex RTs did not differ between groups. Professionals showed a positive significant correlation between simple RT at the beginning of NP test and the total number of disputed (P = 0.043) and won (P = 0.035) bouts. In conclusion, professionals show a longer simple RT compared with debutants, with no difference regarding more complex cognitive tasks. A possible explanation may be found in an adaptation of skilled boxers to better (and longer) evaluate external stimuli before giving a motor response. KEYWORDS: boxing; CogSport; reaction time; neuropsychological test.