Top brain injury experts to debate the need for “female-specific concussion protocol” for women athletes
The international nongovernmental organisation PINK Concussions will host top brain injury experts in a groundbreaking event in Dublin to debate the need for a female-specific concussion management protocol for women athletes.
The 12th PINK Concussions Summit, taking place on March 30 in Dublin, aims to bring together international medical experts to debate changes needed to level the playing field for female athletes, from rules changes to a new concussion protocol.
The event, moderated by founder and executive director of PINK Concussions, Katherine Snedaker, will focus on the need for a female-specific concussion management protocol in sports, equal access to medical care on the pitch for women’s sports teams and whether women’s sports teams should consider modifications in “rule-specific engagement” based on current concussion research.
Snedaker says: “For over a decade, PINK Concussions has been advocating for recognition of sex differences in brain injury mechanisms, symptoms, and recovery trajectories to support practitioners in delivering individualised medical care.
“We believe a debate on a female-focused concussion protocol in sport will highlight the updated medical training needed on sex differences in brain injury.
“This is essential as brain injury is not identical in women and men.”
Back in 2012, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine issued a position statement stating that “in sports with similar rules female athletes sustain more concussions than their male counterparts”.
In addition, they highlighted that female athletes experience or report a higher number and severity of symptoms as well as a longer duration of recovery than male athletes in several studies.
Research over the last decade has continued to support these findings yet there has been no change in the protocol and care for female athletes.
“Worldwide research into female concussion continues to support and strengthen the view that females suffer an increased incidence of concussion compared to males in contact sport,” explains Dr Marshall Garrett from the University of Glasgow School of Medicine.
“Their symptoms also appear to be more persistent and cognitive deficits more pronounced than males.
“World sporting bodies need to acknowledge this difference and make provision for female specific assessment and recovery protocols.”
While the event focuses on female athletes, PINK Concussions hopes the impact will be broad, reaching girls in youth sports and women with non-sport brain injuries.
The summit will be held during the IBIA 14th World Congress on Brain Injury, in partnership with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, at the Convention Centre Dublin from 4-5:30 PM GMT.
Speakers participating in the debate include: Willie Stewart, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Dr Marshall Garrett, University of Glasgow School of Medicine, Katherine Snedaker, LCSW PINK Concussions, Abigail C. Bretzin, University of Michigan, Christopher C. Giza, Mattel Children’s Hospital, UCLA, Christina L. Master, University of Pennsylvania and Dr Inga Katharina Koerte, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität.
For more info, visit pinkconcussions.us or email katherine@PINKconcussions.org.
