Sex Differences in Sports-Related Concussion

Author(s):  
Jesse G. Brand ◽  
Heidi R. Rossetti ◽  
Donna K. Broshek

Sex differences in sports-related concussion are the focus of a growing body of literature. This chapter discusses the increasing rates of female participation in sport, briefly addresses sex differences in traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as physical sex differences and their impact on sports-related concussion. Several discrepancies in sports regulations and playing style between sexes that have been implicated in differing rates of sports-related concussion are also discussed. Variations in symptom reporting between the sexes and sex differences in cognitive outcomes of sports-related concussion are also addressed. Sex differences in symptom resolution and time to return to play are presented. Finally, limitations of this literature are identified and suggestions for future research are provided.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Dennis ◽  
Karen Caeyenberghs ◽  
Robert F. Asarnow ◽  
Talin Babikian ◽  
Brenda Bartnik-Olson ◽  
...  

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children in both developed and developing nations. Children and adolescents suffer from TBI at a higher rate than the general population; however, research in this population lags behind research in adults. This may be due, in part, to the smaller number of investigators engaged in research with this population and may also be related to changes in safety laws and clinical practice that have altered length of hospital stays, treatment, and access to this population. Specific developmental issues also warrant attention in studies of children, and the ever-changing context of childhood and adolescence may require larger sample sizes than are commonly available to adequately address remaining questions related to TBI. The ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Pediatric Moderate-Severe TBI (msTBI) group aims to advance research in this area through global collaborative meta-analysis. In this paper we discuss important challenges in pediatric TBI research and opportunities that we believe the ENIGMA Pediatric msTBI group can provide to address them. We conclude with recommendations for future research in this field of study.


Author(s):  
Natalie A. Emmert ◽  
Georgia Ristow ◽  
Michael A. McCrea ◽  
Terri A. deRoon-Cassini ◽  
Lindsay D. Nelson

Abstract Objective: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) symptoms are typically assessed via questionnaires in research, yet questionnaires may be more prone to biases than direct clinical interviews. We compared mTBI symptoms reported on two widely used self-report inventories and the novel Structured Interview of TBI Symptoms (SITS). Second, we explored the association between acquiescence response bias and symptom reporting across modes of assessment. Method: Level 1 trauma center patients with mTBI (N = 73) were recruited within 2 weeks of injury, assessed at 3 months post-TBI, and produced nonacquiescent profiles. Assessments collected included the SITS (comprising open-ended and closed-ended questions), Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ), Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-3 (SCAT-3) symptom checklist, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form True Response Inconsistency (TRIN-r) scale. Results: Current mTBI symptom burden and individual symptom endorsement were highly concordant between SITS closed-ended questions, the RPQ, and the SCAT-3. Within the SITS, participants reported significantly fewer mTBI symptoms to open-ended as compared to later closed-ended questions, and this difference was weakly correlated with TRIN-r. Symptom scales were weakly associated with TRIN-r. Conclusions: mTBI symptom reporting varies primarily by whether questioning is open- vs. closed-ended but not by mode of assessment (interview, questionnaire). Acquiescence response bias appears to play a measurable but small role in mTBI symptom reporting overall and the degree to which participants report more symptoms to closed- than open-ended questioning. These findings have important implications for mTBI research and support the validity of widely used TBI symptom inventories.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 886-887
Author(s):  
Andrei Irimia ◽  
Ammar Dharani ◽  
Van Ngo ◽  
David Robles ◽  
Kenneth Rostowsky

Abstract Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects white matter (WM) integrity and accelerates neurodegeneration. This study assesses the effects of age, sex, and cerebral microbleed (CMB) load as predictors of WM integrity in 70 subjects aged 18-77 imaged acutely and ~6 months after mTBI using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Two-tensor unscented Kalman tractography was used to segment and cluster 73 WM structures and to map changes in their mean fractional anisotropy (FA), a surrogate measure of WM integrity. Dimensionality reduction of mean FA feature vectors was implemented using principal component (PC) analysis, and two prominent PCs were used as responses in a multivariate analysis of covariance. Acutely and chronically, older age was significantly associated with lower FA (F2,65 = 8.7, p < .001, η2 = 0.2; F2,65 = 12.3, p < .001, η2 = 0.3, respectively), notably in the corpus callosum and in dorsolateral temporal structures, confirming older adults’ WM vulnerability to mTBI. Chronically, sex was associated with mean FA (F2,65 = 5.0, p = 0.01, η2 = 0.1), indicating males’ greater susceptibility to WM degradation. Acutely, a significant association was observed between CMB load and mean FA (F2,65 = 5.1, p = 0.009, η2 = 0.1), suggesting that CMBs reflect the acute severity of diffuse axonal injury. Together, these findings indicate that older age, male sex, and CMB load are risk factors for WM degeneration. Future research should examine how sex- and age-mediated WM degradation lead to cognitive decline and connectome degeneration after mTBI.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamilton Roschel ◽  
Bruno Gualano ◽  
Sergej M. Ostojic ◽  
Eric S. Rawson

There is a robust and compelling body of evidence supporting the ergogenic and therapeutic role of creatine supplementation in muscle. Beyond these well-described effects and mechanisms, there is literature to suggest that creatine may also be beneficial to brain health (e.g., cognitive processing, brain function, and recovery from trauma). This is a growing field of research, and the purpose of this short review is to provide an update on the effects of creatine supplementation on brain health in humans. There is a potential for creatine supplementation to improve cognitive processing, especially in conditions characterized by brain creatine deficits, which could be induced by acute stressors (e.g., exercise, sleep deprivation) or chronic, pathologic conditions (e.g., creatine synthesis enzyme deficiencies, mild traumatic brain injury, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, depression). Despite this, the optimal creatine protocol able to increase brain creatine levels is still to be determined. Similarly, supplementation studies concomitantly assessing brain creatine and cognitive function are needed. Collectively, data available are promising and future research in the area is warranted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Alexandre Santos Marzano ◽  
Fabyolla Lúcia Macedo de Castro ◽  
Caroline Amaral Machado ◽  
João Luís Vieira Monteiro de Barros ◽  
Thiago Macedo e Cordeiro ◽  
...  

: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious cause of disability and death among young and adult individuals, displaying complex pathophysiology including cellular and molecular mechanisms that are not fully elucidated. Many experimental and clinical studies investigated the potential relationship between TBI and the process by which neurons are formed in the brain, known as neurogenesis. Currently, there are no available treatments for TBI’s long-term consequences being the search for novel therapeutic targets, a goal of highest scientific and clinical priority. Some studies evaluated the benefits of treatments aimed at improving neurogenesis in TBI. In this scenario, herein, we reviewed current pre-clinical studies that evaluated different approaches to improving neurogenesis after TBI while achieving better cognitive outcomes, which may consist in interesting approaches for future treatments.


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e016694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sareh Zarshenas ◽  
Laetitia Tam ◽  
Angela Colantonio ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Alavinia ◽  
Nora Cullen

IntroductionMany studies have assessed the predictors of morbidity/mortality of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in acute care. However, with the increasing rate of survival after TBI, more attention has been given to discharge destinations from acute care as an important measure of clinical priorities. This study describes the design of a systematic review compiling and synthesising studies on the prognostic factors of discharge settings from acute care in patients with TBI.Methods and analysisThis systematic review will be conducted on peer-reviewed studies using seven databases including Medline/Medline in-Process, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Supplemental PubMed. The reference list of selected articles and Google Scholar will also be reviewed to determine other relevant articles. This study will include all English language observational studies that focus on adult patients with TBI in acute care settings. The quality of articles will be assessed by the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool.Ethics and disseminationThe results of this review will provide evidence that may guide healthcare providers in making more informed and timely discharge decisions to the next level of care for patient with TBI. Also, this study will provide valuable information to address the gaps in knowledge for future research.Trial registration numberTrial registration number (PROSPERO) is CRD42016033046.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey A. Brickell ◽  
Sara M. Lippa ◽  
Louis M. French ◽  
Jan E. Kennedy ◽  
Jason M. Bailie ◽  
...  

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