Sex Differences in Concussion Symptoms

According to a new study to be published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Athletic Training, girls and boys report different types of symptoms after suffering sports-related concussions. Researchers studied 812 reported concussions from 100 high schools across the nation and found that girls were more likely to suffer neurobehavioral and somatic symptoms, namely drowsiness and sensitivity to noise, than boys. Male high school athletes, on the other hand, were more likely to report cognitive symptoms, particularly amnesia and disorientation, than girls. The author is Dawn Comstock from the Center for Injury and Research Policy.  Further research is needed to confirm and further define these findings.