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Updated: Aug 7, 2025
11:32
A Neuroscientific Approach to the Examination of Concussions in Student-Athletes
Published on: December 8, 2014
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Hormonal Contraceptives Do Not Influence Concussion Recovery in Collegiate Athletes: Data from the NCAA-DoD CARE
Jacob J M Kay, Kiersten I Mangold1, Andrew Lapointe2
1Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|March 10, 2023
Summary
Hormonal contraceptive (HC) use in female athletes does not appear to impact concussion recovery time, symptom severity, or cognitive function. This finding suggests hormonal stability from HC may not alter post-concussion outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Neurology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The hormonal withdrawal hypothesis posits that progesterone reduction post-concussion exacerbates symptoms and prolongs recovery in women.
- Hormonal stability after head injury may influence recovery, leading to the hypothesis that hormonal contraceptives (HC) could improve outcomes by stabilizing hormone levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between hormonal contraceptive (HC) use and concussion outcomes in female student-athletes.
- To determine if artificial hormonal stabilization through HC use affects recovery trajectory and symptom burden after concussion.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study of 172 female collegiate athletes from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium (2014-2020).
- Group matching of 86 hormonal contraceptive users (HC+) with 86 non-users (HC-) based on key demographic and injury characteristics.
- Assessment of concussion outcomes using standardized tools (SCAT3, BSI-18, ImPACT) at multiple time points, with recovery indexed by days to unrestricted return to play.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed between HC+ and HC- groups in recovery duration.
- Postconcussion symptom severity, psychological health, and cognitive function assessments showed no group differences.
- These findings remained consistent even after accounting for baseline performance levels.
Conclusions:
- Hormonal contraceptive use does not appear to influence the recovery trajectory following a concussion in female athletes.
- HC use did not demonstrate an effect on postconcussion symptom burden or the recovery of cognitive function.
- The study suggests that hormonal stability from HC may not be a significant moderator of concussion outcomes in this population.
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