While the medical field has made strides in recognizing sex-specific norms and risk factors in concussion recovery, it still falls short in tailoring treatment for high-risk women, according to Alicia Trbovich, a neuropsychologist with the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program.
At the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research symposium on Friday, leading Pittsburgh experts shared research on the long-term effects of concussions — including their often-overlooked impact on women’s health.
“Women are treated more conservatively by providers, so providers in general tend to baby women, which we know is not the right approach with concussion,” Trbovich said.
Roughly 40% of existing studies on concussions don’t even include women, according to Trbovich.
“That’s a pretty big gap if we’re taking this data and trying to apply it to everyone,” Trbovich said. “My idea of what we should be doing in the future is moving beyond just identifying and describing the differences in clinical test measures.”
The symposium marked the foundation’s 10th anniversary. Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research, named after the Hall of Fame head coach, provides early-stage funding for research projects investigating ways to diagnose, treat and prevent brain injuries as a result of sports-related activities, according to the website.
“Pittsburgh is truly ground zero when it comes to concussion research and treatment – we treat over 20,000 patients annually using precision medicine approaches,” said Dr. Mickey Collins, director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Center, in a statement.
Pittsburgh experts in attendance on Friday included Assistant Director of Research, Dr. Anthony Kontos; Allegheny Health Network Department of Neurosurgery Chair, Dr. Donald Whiting; and Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation Director of the Center for Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Dr. Julie Rios.
On Friday, Rios shared an update on an ongoing Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation and UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program study examining menstrual cycle dysfunction after concussions to improve clinical care.
“Women experience worse outcomes after concussion, symptoms, impairment, prolonged recovery. They also can have more anxiety and mood kind of psychological disruption. Concussion can also affect the menstrual cycle,” Rios said, who is part of the research team for the study.
The study, the Women’s Multi-domain Evaluation of Neurobiological Health following Concussion, began in 2023 and includes 125 women — 75 with concussions and 50 with orthopedic injuries serving as a control group.
Participants will complete in-person neurobiological evaluations at enrollment and 90 days post-injury, assessing clinical factors, symptoms, quality of life and biological markers through blood and urine samples.
Women’s health outcomes, including menstrual patterns, mental health, physical activity and sleep, will be tracked over 12 months.
The study hypothesizes that neurobiological effects will be worse in women after they suffer a concussion.
“I think concussion is kind of a silent disease that not everyone knows that all of these long-term effects can happen,” Rios said.
The Women’s Multi-domain Evaluation of Neurobiological Health following Concussion study is expected to conclude next year, Rios said.