Sex & gender considerations in concussion research

Abstract

The study of concussion, a common form of mild traumatic brain injury, has received increased notice over the last decade. Recently, more researchers have been addressing the historic paucity of attention over sex and gender influences on recovery outcomes after concussion. This development has led to exciting progress in our understanding of concussion incidence and outcomes. In this review, we will report on new findings from varying studies on sex differences in the epidemiology of concussion and clinical manifestations of mild traumatic brain injury/concussion, further discussing some key issues related to the integration of sex and gender in concussion research in a broad range of contexts, with recommendations to guide future research, along with sex- and gender-sensitive policy considerations.