Page 348 - Total War on PTSD

Without one, the head can be struck or strike an object, and a weak neck is left nearly useless to ameliorate the effects of the blow.
The brain also takes a while to mature. The last part of the brain to mature is the prefrontal cortex — the area of the brain that controls executive functioning, or how we control ourselves to make logical, good decisions. The male brain doesn't really finish this growth process until somewhere around twenty-five, believe it or not. Then, of course, as we get older, the brain becomes more fragile again. The neck weakens. The blood vessels become compromised and more susceptible to damage if an injury like a blow occurs.
Gender is another variable in concussion. Girls and women suffer concussion symptoms at a higher rate than boys and men. While a flood of attention has focused the spotlight on NFL players and helped create awareness of the health risks of concussion, girls’ and women’s sports are being overlooked. In many popular sports, boys are not the ones most likely afflicted by concussions, girls are too. Across all sports played by both male and female athletes such as soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, baseball/ softball, female players experience concussions at a much higher rate than male players. In some cases, the rate is doubled, or more. While football gets all the attention in high school and college, the sport that has the highest rate of concussion in youth sports is female ice hockey.
A lot of attention has been directed towards the head and neck size of girls and the musculature of girls. Researchers speculate that girls have smaller, weaker necks than
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