The female athlete: the role of gender in the assessment and management of sport-related concussion

Clin Sports Med. 2011 Jan;30(1):125-31, x. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2010.08.001.

Abstract

Concussions remain a serious public health concern, with approximately 1.6 million to 3 million sport and recreational traumatic and brain injuries occurring every year in the United States. Most research on concussions has been conducted on male athletes, specifically, football players. However, female sport participation has steadily increased over the past decade. Recent studies suggest that the incidence of and recovery from sport-related concussion varies between male and female athletes, with women having a higher risk of sustaining a concussion and taking a longer time to recover than men. As a result, this article addresses the role of gender in the assessment and management of sport-related concussion.

MeSH terms

  • Brain Concussion / diagnosis*
  • Brain Concussion / drug therapy
  • Brain Concussion / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Sports Medicine / methods*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United States / epidemiology