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The Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phase and Hormonal Contraceptive Use on Post-concussive Symptom Reporting in Non-concussed Adults

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Abstract

Post-concussion symptoms are notoriously non-specific and overlap with menstrual symptoms. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between symptoms at different points in the menstrual cycle. Forty-four females, 23 who used hormonal contraceptives, and 34 males completed the Post-Concussive Symptom Scale (PCSS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale on two occasions. There were substantial group differences with regard to test-retest reliability and agreement, with unacceptably low reliability on the PCSS for females on hormonal birth control. Eumenorrheic females had systematic changes in individual symptoms, whereas females taking hormonal contraceptives showed no differences over time. The results highlight the importance of considering hormonal influences in the assessment of post-concussion and psychiatric symptoms in females post-injury.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Collaborative Research Grant from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Windsor (grant number 817189).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada

    Malayna Malleck & Christopher A. Abeare

  2. Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada

    Kevin J. Milne

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  1. Malayna Malleck
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  2. Kevin J. Milne
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  3. Christopher A. Abeare
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Correspondence to Malayna Malleck.

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Malleck, M., Milne, K.J. & Abeare, C.A. The Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phase and Hormonal Contraceptive Use on Post-concussive Symptom Reporting in Non-concussed Adults. Psychol. Inj. and Law 12, 183–190 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-019-09351-z

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