Science fact or Science fiction - Traumatic brain injury: Does gender matter?

A number of high-profile concussion lawsuits in professional sports such as hockey and football have brought increased attention to the serious problem of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is the leading cause of death for young men, who are more likely to sustain such an injury than women.1 As a result of this increased risk, researchers have tended to focus primarily on men’s experiences with TBI, or to ignore the influence of sex and gender entirely. Has the issue of TBI among women been overlooked? What do we know about the influence of sex and gender on TBI – and why does this matter for diagnosis, prevention and treatment?