Evidence Suggests that Female Veterans with Brain Trauma Require Different Recovery Methods

By Hannah Moran

In an article published by Stanford Medicine, Hanae Armitage reported data containing evidence that female veterans endure a more challenging recovery after sustaining a TBI than males. An analysis by Odette Harris, MD, and her colleagues also found that cortical thinning in male and female brains after TBI may be associated with the exhibition of unexpected behavioral trends within the female population. 

While analyzing Department of Veteran Affairs data, Harris noticed “gender difference in the aftermath of traumatic brain injuries.” Further investigation led her to discover other patterns in women with brain injuries, such as “higher rates of depression, substance abuse, memory problems and homelessness, among other troubles, than men with brain trauma.” Harris attributed these trends to the possibility that women and men “experience brain injuries differently,” indicating that TBI management and treatment may be more effective if it is sex-specific. 

Harris’s colleague Maheen Adamson has been investigating differences in the brain after a TBI with a study combining neuropsychological testing with brain MRIs to “measure the thickness of the cortex, the thin outer layer of the brain’s cerebrum.” While the cortex of women usually is “about 6% thicker than men’s,” MRIs of women veterans with TBI showed cortical thinning that was “significantly worse” than their male counterparts.

Harris is determined to adapt current recovery methods to suit women better. Male veterans are more likely to struggle with unemployment after sustaining a concussion, resulting in their recovery focusing on “education and skills training” to advance their rehabilitation process. For example, Harris explains, “we found that female veterans were better educated and more likely to have a college degree than their male counterparts.” However, women are “30% more likely than males to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder” and vertigo after a TBI. Distinctions like these are crucial to understanding the difference in recovery women face compared to men.

Due to the limited research of sex-specific recovery methods, women are more likely to encounter disadvantages like depression and substance abuse after a TBI. Further research should focus on interventions that may improve the recovery process for women veterans. 

See our page on Veterans for more resources.