Sex Differences on the Concussion Clinical Profiles Screening in Adolescents With Sport-Related Concussion

Abstract

Context Sex differences influence symptom presentations after sport-related concussion and may be a risk factor for certain concussion clinical profiles. Objective To examine sex differences on the Concussion Clinical Profile Screen (CP Screen) in adolescents after sport-related concussion. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting A concussion specialty clinic. Patients or Other Participants A total of 276 adolescent (age = 15.02 ± 1.43 years; girls = 152 [55%]) athletes with a recently diagnosed concussion (≤30 days). Main Outcome Measure(s) The 5 CP Screen profiles (anxiety mood, cognitive fatigue, migraine, vestibular, ocular) and 2 modifiers (neck, sleep), symptom total, and symptom severity scores were compared using a series of Mann-Whitney U tests between boys and girls. Results Girls (n = 152) scored higher than boys (n = 124) on the cognitive fatigue (U = 7160.50, z = −3.46, P = .001) and anxiety mood (U = 7059, z = −3.62, P < .001) factors but not on the migraine (U = 7768, z = −2.52, P = .01) factor. Girls also endorsed a greater number of symptoms (n = 124; U = 27233, z = −3.33, P = .001) and scored higher in symptom severity (U = 7049, z = −3.60, P < .001) than boys. Conclusions Among adolescents, symptom endorsement on the CP Screen varied based on sex, and clinicians need to be aware of these differences, especially when evaluating postconcussion presentation in the absence of baseline data.