Why Are Traumatic Brain Injuries Worse for Women?

Recent research on sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI) has shown that women are affected more severely than men. Women have a higher risk of getting a concussion, they have more severe symptoms, and take longer to recover than men.

There are several possible reasons why TBI is worse for women: Firstly, women have on average smaller heads than men, so they have a greater “ball-to-head size ratio.” Also, women’s neck muscles are usually weaker and thus cannot support the impact as well as men’s. These factors increase women’s risk of getting a brain injury. Women may also have slower nerve signals, which can lead to a longer recovery time. According to in vitro studies, women’s neurons have smaller axons and narrower microtubules, which makes them more susceptible to damage.

Studies have also shown that women who hit their heads during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle – when progesterone level is at its highest – have worse post-concussion symptoms compared with women injured during the first two weeks. This is because brain injury decreases progesterone levels abruptly, creating a sense of withdrawal, and thus making concussion symptoms worse.

Apart from physiological factors, women are also more likely to report their concussion symptoms while men can hide their symptoms in order to not let their coaches or teams down.

Medicortex Finland Plc is developing a rapid diagnostic test that can detect concussions at the point-of-injury. The test can determine whether it is safe for an athlete to return to the game or not. For more information, please visit: www.medicortex.fi