A-19 Sex Differences in Post-Concussion Symptom Reporting of Elementary School-Aged Children

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Research on sex differences in the presentation of concussion has produced mixed findings and have primarily studied adolescents and adults. The purpose of this study was to explore sex differences in post-concussion symptom reporting and recovery time in elementary school-aged children. Methods Retrospective data were abstracted from the medical records of patients aged 5-10 who presented to a specialty concussion clinic between 2020-2023 (N=109, 67% male). Groups were divided based on sex (female=36, Mage=8.9; male=73, Mage=8.8). A MANCOVA was conducted to determine the relationship between sex and Post-Concussion Symptom Scale total scores at initial visit (PCSS-1), PCSS total scores at follow-up visit (PCSS-2), and recovery time. Covariates included were age and days since injury (DSI). Results Mean DSI at initial visit was 8.5±23.9 for females and 5.7±6.4 for males. There was a significant difference between males and females on the combined dependent variables (Wilks’ Λ=.87, F(3,103)=5.36, p=.002, partial η2=.14) after controlling for age and DSI. Females reported significantly more symptoms than males on PCSS-1 (Mfem=31.8±21.3, Mmale=22.4±19.3; p=.02) and PCSS-2 (Mfem=17.1±18.5, Mmale=6.0±10.2; p<.001). Recovery days were not significantly different between sexes (Mfem=38.7±43.6, Mmale=31.0±43.9; p=.06). Conclusions Commensurate with studies that have evaluated sex differences in concussion in older cohorts, females reported greater symptom burden than their male peers. While not significantly different, females took one week longer to recover than males, suggesting that higher symptom reporting during initial and subsequent concussion visits is not necessarily indicative of longer recovery time. To provide tailored care, future research should examine sex differences in specific symptoms reported post-concussion across age cohorts.