New research deals another blow to deniers of differences between the brains of men and women.
It has long been recognized that females are more prone to suffer the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) than males. But why? In 2024, researchers at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania shed some light on the matter.
The investigators describe the higher rate at which female athletes suffer concussion than males, even when playing the exact same sport at the exact same level (varsity, rec, pro, etc.). What’s more, girls (or women) don’t recover from brain injury as fully as boys (or men). Girls have a significantly higher chance of winding up with a worse outcome.
The scientists go on to highlight anatomical brain differences between the sexes. In a woman’s brain, a higher percentage of neurons (brain cells) have narrower axons (cables down which electrochemical signals sail). The reason for this, if you’re wondering, is that, on average, a woman’s head is smaller than a man’s. So, in order to squeeze the same number of neurons into her noggin, each precious brain cell needs to take up less space.
But, size matters. Using an animal model, the Penn scientists proved the narrower axons were more prone to injury, even after a mild trauma. The smaller caliber cables (axons) became significantly more swollen after injury and the transmission of electrochemical signals (mediated via sodium channels) was damaged to a greater degree.
Want to read more about brain sex differences? https://brain2mind.substack.com/p/beauty-is-brain-deep
Want to read more about the long term danger of concussions? https://brain2mind.substack.com/p/more-than-just-a-little-head-bump