The Management of Sport-Related Concussion: Considerations for Male and Female Athletes

Abstract

Sport-related concussion continues to be a centerpiece of attention in the field of sports medicine. The benefit to using neurocognitive testing when managing concussion will be documented in this review. In addition to providing critical objective information on the neurocognitive status of the concussed athlete, research data will be provided on the pre- and post-concussion neurocognitive profiles of concussed male and female athletes. Specifically, an overview of research will be presented on the epidemiology of male and female concussion rates, as well as concussion outcomes including symptoms and cognitive function post-injury. Finally, a clinician's perspective on managing sports-related concussion will be presented focusing on three factors regarding sex differences: risk factors, clinical presentation, and management.

Gender- and Sex-specific Sports-related Injury Research in Emergency Medicine: A Consensus on Future Research Direction and Focused Application

“…17 Women also fared worse on 75% of concussion outcomes in a meta-analysis assessing eight individual studies and 20 separate concussion variables. 18 Finally, it was found that adult females are 2.89 times more likely to report post-concussion symptoms 3 months after SRC as compared to males. 18 A history of previous SRC may increase the risk of future concussions.…”

“…18 Finally, it was found that adult females are 2.89 times more likely to report post-concussion symptoms 3 months after SRC as compared to males. 18 A history of previous SRC may increase the risk of future concussions. One recent meta-analysis of risk factors for SRC in children, youth, and adults reviewed 86 articles, 13 of which examined previous concussion as a risk factor.…”

“…SRC data suggest that sex differences exist in concussion symptom type and severity. Among high school and college athletes, research has shown that women are more likely to report the presence of symptoms [17][18][19] and experience a greater number of symptoms during the acute postconcussive period than their male counterparts. 19,20 More specifically, concussed female athletes are more likely to report headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration than males.…”

Priorities for injury prevention in women's Australian football: a compilation of national data from different sources

“…For example, conservative estimates of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in team ball sports such as soccer and basketball report females having 2–3 times greater numbers of ACL injuries than males 9–11. Similarly, several systematic reviews have reported sex differences in reported concussion incidence,12–16 risk factors13 17 18 and outcomes 12 19 20. In light of these findings, in other sports it is reasonable to think that there may be differences in the types of injuries sustained by male and female participants of AF.…”

Special Issue of Translational Stroke: Importance of Sex in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Acute CNS Repair

“…This special issue also contains chapters specifically targeting the clinically important area of traumatic brain injury. For example, Covassin provides a timely overview of clinical research on the epidemiology of male and female concussion rates and outcomes including symptoms including cognitive dysfunction post-injury [5]. The authors emphasize that on managing sports-related concussion, several important factors including sex differences, risk factors, the clinical presentation, and management are each extremely important as we develop specialized care for our subjects.…”