Abstract:
Animal models of recovery from brain injury suggest that females show better neurorecovery compared to males and that the effect may be mediated by the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is hypothesized to protect the animal from edema and other secondary complications of brain injury. Studies in humans have not consistently demonstrated an effect of gender on neurorecovery, but interpretation is complicated by the failure to match males and females on age and severity of injury. Using data from the TBI Model System National Database, the proposed study will look for an effect of gender on neurorecovery in womenÂ’s childbearing years after matching females with male controls based on age and severity.