Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can change people’s lives forever. Every traumatic brain injury is different, and every patient experiences a different set of symptoms. New research sheds light on the unique ways traumatic brain injuries affect women. A recent medical paper summarized and updated the findings in a workshop hosted by the National Institutes of Health. Below, we will discuss some of the differences in how men and women experience traumatic brain injuries.
Differences in TBI Symptoms Between Men and Women
Researchers found that there are sex-based differences in TBI recovery across patients’ life spans. Boys between the ages of 0 and 4 are twice as likely to experience a TBI than girls of the same age. On the contrary, female adolescent athletes are more likely to experience a concussion than their male counterparts of the same age. Women who are age 65 or older are most likely to experience mild traumatic brain injuries. Most traumatic brain injuries experienced by women over the age of 65 are from fall accidents.
Different TBI Outcomes Between Men and Women
Researchers also discovered that women often have different outcomes after they have been diagnosed with a TBI. Women have different outcomes depending on the point in their menstrual cycle at which they suffered the TBI injury. There is evidence that when a woman experiences a TBI injury during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when her progesterone levels are high, she may experience a decreased quality of life and worse outcomes. Researchers recommend additional research related to reproductive hormones and how they impact recovery from TBIs for women.
Many of the traumatic brain injury studies conducted on mice utilize only male mice. Some researchers are calling for scientists to look at the biological effects of TBI on female mice and determine whether there are additional differences as to how men and women immediately respond to traumatic brain injuries. There can also be even more significant differences in how men and women recover from traumatic brain injuries. Additional research also needs to be conducted on how female and male victims of traumatic brain injuries recover.
Recovering Compensation After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Unfortunately, accidents are the main cause of traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries can occur to anyone and in nearly any situation. It only takes one car accident or serious slip and fall accident to cause someone long-lasting symptoms. If you are recovering from a traumatic brain injury caused by someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you may be entitled to damages. Under Kansas and Missouri laws, victims of personal injuries can hold the person or company whose negligence caused their injuries financially responsible for their injuries.
Contact a Missouri TBI Lawyer Today
The best thing you can do is speak with an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer. At Griggs Injury Law, we focus a large part of our legal practice on obtaining compensation for clients who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation.
