Cell Structure in Women’s TBI Make Concussions More Likely

A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that doesn’t just cause physical pain; it can alter a victim’s mood, memory, and temperament. The bulk of the research done on these mild traumatic brain injuries has been conducted on male subjects, and gender differences in how blows to the head affect victims were not previously understood. A new study comparing the brains of men and women after a head injury shows that women’s brain cells are more likely to sustain damage than men’s when subjected to an identical amount of force. Learn more below about the effects of head injuries on women, and contact a knowledgeable Vero Beach TBI attorney if you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury.

A team of scientists at the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair looked at differences in brain cells between men and women, both in rat and human brains. Specifically, the researchers were looking for physiological differences which might explain why women were both more likely than men to incur concussions, and why concussions tend to be more severe and longer-lasting in women than men.

The Penn Center’s scientists focused their study on neuronal axons. These structures act as the communication pathways between brain cells. Thin passageways known as microtubules run along the sides of axons, carrying the chemical molecules which convey messages between cells. According to their research, the microtubules in women’s brains are thinner and fewer in number than those in men’s brains, and they are more prone to break when force is applied to the brain.

This finding is significant due to the important role that microtubules play in creating concussions. Scientists believe that concussion symptoms, such as nausea, unconsciousness, dizziness, and sensitivity to light, may result from microtubule breakage. When the tubes break, they spill the chemicals being transported through the tubes, and the accumulation of those chemicals between cells causes concussion symptoms, and can even result in additional cellular damage. This research could be valuable in a claim for damages on behalf of a woman who suffered a head injury. The study could support the need for a larger damages award, due to the longer recovery time and greater need for treatment that women experience after a TBI.

If you or a loved one have suffered a head injury in Florida, find out if you have a right to money damages after your accident by contacting the compassionate and dedicated Vero Beach personal injury attorneys at The Law Office of Keith Bregoff for a consultation, at 772-492-8967.

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