(627254) Understanding the Sex and Gender Differences in Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome

Wednesday, November 6

4:45 PM - 5:20 PM

Location: Williford A, Third Floor

Presenter(s)

Katherine Snedaker, LCSW

Executive Director
PINK Concussions
Norwalk, Connecticut
Angela Colantonio, PhD, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Professor and Director
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

Panelist(s)

Yelena Goldin, PhD

Senior Neuropsychologist
JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute
Edison, New Jersey
Halina (Lin) Haag, MSW, RSW

PhD Candidate
Wilfrid Laurier University
Kitchener, Ontario

TBI is not the same in women as in men. And in the past, due to the higher overall male TBI numbers and the effect of reproductive cycles of female lab animals, TBI research almost solely focused on males. Females of all ages suffer brain injury from sports, domestic violence/assaults, accidents and military service. This presentation provides a broad overview of sex and gender differences in brain injury between men and women based on current scientific research. And beyond the research, why these differences are important for patients, families and clinicians to consider in care plans for women and girls.

Learning Objectives:

Describe three ways in which brain injuries in women (including concussion or mild TBI) are unique and have been illustrated by the patients’ experience.
Articulate factors that may account for sex and gender differences in TBI incidence, severity, and recovery.
Apply some possible “better" practices suggested by female patients for the care and education of women who have sustained a TBI to facilitate recovery.