In the 2023 Women’s World Cup, there was a new introduction to the state of play for the tournament: concussion spotters. Spotters are certified athletic trainers not tied to any specific team.

A study published in Biological Psychiatry

found that concussions may alter the trajectory of white matter maturation in female children and that this alteration may play a role in the onset of new depression and anxiety after concussion. 

A study published in Sports Medicine showed the recovery trajectories for both sexes to be quite similar. However, the study authors note that females have a greater overall symptom burden during their recovery period.

There is a significant gap in knowledge and guidance on handling IPV-related injuries among medical providers. To address this gap, Canadian organizations have collaborated to develop a resource to aid healthcare professionals in understanding and managing these injuries effectively.

A recent study of the brains of 84 deceased women who experienced intimate partner violence found that the brains consistently showed signs of traumatic brain injury but that none met the criteria for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

According to a study done by Moran et al., hormonal contraceptives do not appear to influence neurocognition and oculomotor baseline assessment measures for sport-related concussion (SRC).

Pilot program will screen 420 domestic violence survivors for “traumatic brain injuries and concussions” as they enter seven emergency safehouses and shelters.

A study found that female high school athletes who were highly specialized in their athletic pursuits were five times more likely to have a history of concussion compared to female high school athletes who were less specialized in their athletic pursuits.

A New York Times article discusses "Medical Gaslighting”, a term used to describe situations where patients are frustrated after “dismissive experiences with medical professionals.” The author notes a 2020 study finding that women receive less medical care following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Researchers found changes in menstrual patterns 3-4 months post-injury in 1 out of 8 adolescent patients. The authors also found higher symptom severity for those who sustained a concussion after ovulation and before menstruation.

The use of helmets in women’s lacrosse continues to be a topic of significant debate, as helmets are not mandatory in women’s lacrosse but are required in men’s lacrosse. A 2015 study found that women’s lacrosse had the second-highest rate of concussions among a variety of high school and college sports.

A study found that female biological sex, Black race, history of psychiatric illness, or intracranial injury were associated with a higher severity level of insomnia symptoms post-TBI.

Impact: Women Writing After Concussion is an anthology containing the stories of 21 women writers reflecting on how their personal and professional lives have changed following experience with concussion.

We recommend a 47-minute radio special, An ''invisible epidemic'': Survivors of domestic violence on living with traumatic brain injury. The program is a feature of WBUR radio's On Point program and played on NPR across the United States.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects up to 1 in 3 women over their lifetime. COVID-19 has intensified this problem. The intersection of IPV and brain injury (BI) remains relatively understudied. However, this study, published in Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, focused on improving understanding of intimate partner violence and brain injury.

A study found that persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCSs) “were associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating IPV in the subsequent year when controlling for other common IPV risk factors,” including binge drinking, marijuana use, pain level, and probable PTSD.

UN Women has released information about the growing IPV against women during the pandemic; they report an increase in calls for IPV by 25-40% in many countries, and “an additional 15 million women would be affected by IPV for every three months of lockdown.”

A preliminary study suggests that younger soccer players encounter more total head impacts during “repetitive technical training activities,” while scrimmages and games resulted in fewer head impacts of “greater magnitude.”

U.S. Navy researcher David Jesse Daily has created a prototype helmet with “increased protective capability.” As reported by TechLink, this helmet uses cavitating bubbles, which are “the formation of vapor pockets in a fluid,” to act as a shock absorber.

This new helmet design transfers the energy created on impact into the cavitation bubbles to help cushion the brain.

While concussion in sports discussions often focus on football, in high school by far the biggest culprit is girl’s soccer. While the explanation for this gender gap in concussion risk is debated (some claim a later neck muscle development in girls), the difference of 12.1% more concussions in girls than boys is shocking (34.5% to 22.4%).