Show-Me State Times

A primary care sports medicine physician from Saint Louis University has highlighted a gender gap in concussion research, potentially impacting the care women and girls receive. Concussions, often resulting from trauma during sports activities, have seen a tripling in cases among female athletes over the past two decades. However, there remains a lack of focus on sex disparities within concussion research.

Dr. Jamil Neme, an associate professor at SLU’s School of Medicine and director of the Concussion Clinic at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, suggests that structural brain differences may contribute to why females are more susceptible to concussions and experience prolonged recovery periods compared to males. "Take soccer, for instance; athletes have roughly the same exposure to headers; however, intrinsic factors like decreased neck muscle strength may predispose females to more concussions," he explained.

Neme emphasized the need for further research into physiological or biomechanical, social, and environmental factors affecting injury rates between genders. He also pointed out that extrinsic factors such as delays in care can impact concussion recovery.

In sports settings where high-impact activities are common, managing concussions is crucial for athlete health. Sports medicine physicians play a key role in this process by conducting initial assessments post-incident and performing neurological exams alongside cognitive tests to diagnose concussions accurately.

Advancements in treatment have shifted from complete rest post-concussion to gradually increasing activity levels after one or two days of relative rest. This approach aims to expedite recovery and allow patients to resume their activities sooner.

Dr. Neme advocates for prevention over treatment by reducing impacts during practices and modifying training techniques across different levels of play as effective strategies for minimizing concussion risks.