Women May Suffer More Concussions: New Study Finds Gender Nuances

(Newswire.net — March 23, 2016) National Harbor, MD –Distinguishing gender differences can be hard enough, let alone adding concussion injury. But experts gathered on Feb. 27 at Georgetown University Medical Center for the first Research Summit on Female Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury, hosted in part by the NCAA Sports Science Institute, PINKconcussions, US Lacrosse and included neurologist and XLNTbrain co-founder Harry Kerasidis, MD as a presenter.

Dr. Kerasidis shared his latest findings based on the widely-reported concussion protocol pilot program that began last year on nearly 10,000 student athletes through the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Using the online- and mobile-based XLNTbrain Sport™ program, Dr. Kerasidis has been able to measure differences among male and female athletes in both baseline concussion related symptoms and cognitive performance. These nuances further the development of updated concussion detection and treatment protocols in youth sports. 

Dr. Kerasidis said this new research showed further evidence to support the previous study reported last year, confirming these findings in younger high school athletes. 

Method

The XLNTbrain Sport™ Sport Concussion Symptom Checklist (XLNTbrain-SCL) and the XLNTbrain-cog test were administered to over 3000 high school athletes (about 2/3 males) as a pre-season baseline evaluation. The assessment includes measures in the following domains: 

• Cognitive
• Vestibular (balance)
• Sleep
• Migraine
• Mood
• Worry
• Anger
• Verbal and non-verbal processing, verbal and non-verbal memory, attention, and emotional reactivity. 

Conclusions 

In the previous study, collegiate female athletes endorsed (or acknowledge) concussion-related symptoms at baseline in Total Symptom Score and migraine, vestibular, sleep, worry, and mood domains significantly more often than males.

Similarly, in this present study, high school females report more concussion symptoms in their first post-injury assessment in Total Score, and the cognitive, migraine, mood, sleep, worry, and vestibular domains without significant differences in the anger domain. “These gender differences should be taken into account when assessing athletes for concussion-related symptoms,” said Dr. Kerasidis, author of Concussion-ology: Redefining Sports Concussion Management for All Levels, published in December. 

The data show a statistically significantly higher tendency to report concussion-related symptoms not only in total score, but also for all domains except the anger score. “These findings are likely clinically relevant when caring for female athletes with concussion injury, particularly when you don’t have a baseline measurement to compare,” said Dr. Kerasidis. 

Although across the board, females performed statistically better on all subtests of the XLNTbrain-cog computerized performance test, the difference in performance was so small that it is not likely to be clinically relevant.  

• If you would like a demonstration of the XLNTbrain Sport concussion protocol, please register here.

Dr. Kerasidis also authored how these, as well as other, gender differences complicate concussion care in this article for PsychologyToday. His work is a reflection of 25 years studying and treating concussions and related after-effects. He integrated the consensus  statements, and published scientific guidelines in his methodologies with the latest in technologies for XLNTbrain.com. Rooted in science, the XLNTbrain Sport online concussion protocol incorporates several unique features including emotional measures at baseline, as well as providing an automated Return-to-Learn protocol within the concussion recovery protocol. 

XLNTbrain Sport™ provides online and mobile concussion management protocols incorporating many of the best-practices and standards established by several industry organizations including the guidelines set by the National Athletic Trainers Association and American Academy of Neurology. XLNTbrain is a proud sponsor of MomsTEAM Institute and SmartTeams™. Schedule a demonstration or obtain more information by calling (703) 675-1857 or emailing info@xlntbrain.com.

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 Media Contact: David Jahr, (949) 874-2667, davidjahr@mac.com