As professional high-contact women's sport gains momentum in Australia greater awareness of concussion in female competitions is needed, says an expert.
Sports-related concussion is a significant public health problem and research has typically focused on male athletes.
However a new study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston this week found women athletes 50 per cent more likely than male athletes to have a sports-related concussion.
While an American study, the preliminary findings highlight the need for more research on the gender differences in concussion, says Dr Cynthia Honan, a clinical neuropsychologist and lecturer with the School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania.
"Only in recent years has there been research devoted to females and female sports. Because of this, awareness of concussion in female sports is not likely to be as great as male sports," Dr Honan told AAP.
As a consequence, concussion in female sports as a serious issue may have been "overlooked".
A common misconception related to this, Dr Honan says, is the assumption female sports involve less contact but "we know that some female sports do involve contact and women indeed are prepared to play rough".
The US study, led by James Noble of Columbia University, included 822 men and 381 women participating in sports like soccer, basketball and football.
Participants took tests to measure thinking skills and processing speed before and after a concussion. The researchers also tracked symptoms and when participants returned to play after a concussion.
A total of 228 athletes in the study suffered at least one concussion during their college career, 88 women, or 23 per cent, and 140 men, or 17 per cent.
Women were 50 per cent more likely to have a concussion than men.
In the gender-comparable sports of soccer and basketball, women were more likely to have had a concussion.
Dr Honan said the results could be due to a couple of factors: the under-reporting of concussion in males or the lack of research devoted to females and female sports.
However the implication is that there needs to me more acknowledgement of concussion in female sports.
"This is particularly important given female participation in high contact sports such as roller derby or football is increasing," Dr Honan said.
"There are numerous ways head injuries can occur including though direct hits to the head, acceleration and deceleration forces and sudden stopping/jolting which would occur from a hard fall," she added.
Dr Honan says greater awareness for players and team management on the dangers of concussion, how to recognise a concussion, proper management of concussion and possible long-term outcomes of concussion are required.
