Page 397 - Total War on PTSD

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 boys of the same age, and this leaves them more susceptible to trauma. Hormones could also play a role. If a teen or woman suffers a concussion in the pre-menstrual phase when progesterone levels are high, the injury will cause an abrupt drop in the hormone. That kind of immediate drop in progesterone can contribute to, or worsen, symptoms like headache, nausea, and dizziness, and affect trouble concentrating.
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