Mikolic, AKlaveren, DVGroeniger, JOWiegers, EJALingsma, HFZeldovich, MSteinbüchel, NVMaas, AIRLennep, JERVPolinder, SÅkerlund, CAmrein, KAndelic, NAndreassen, LAnke, AAntoni, AAudibert, GAzouvi, PAzzolini, MLBartels, RBarzó, PBeauvais, RBeer, RBellander, BMBelli, ABenali, HBerardino, MBeretta, LBlaabjerg, MBragge, PBrazinova, ABrinck, VBrooker, JBrorsson, CBuki, ABullinger, MCabeleira, MCaccioppola, ACalappi, ECalvi, MRCameron, PLozano, GCCarbonara, MCastaño-León, AMCavallo, SChevallard, GChieregato, ACiterio, GMonza, ADCeyisakar, IClusmann, HCoburn, MColes, JCooper, JDCorreia, MČović, ACurry, NCzeiter, ECzosnyka, MDahyot-Fizelier, CDark, PDawes, HKeyser, VDDegos, VCorte, FDBoogert, HDDepreitere, BĐilvesi, ĐDixit, ADonoghue, EDreier, JDulière, GLErcole, AEsser, PEzer, EFabricius, MFeigin, VLFoks, KFrisvold, SFurmanov, AGagliardo, PGalanaud, DGantner, DGao, GGeorge, PGhuysne, AGiga, LGlocker, BGolubovic, JGomez, PAGratz, JGravesteijn, BGrossi, FGruen, RLGupta, DHaagsma, JAHaitsma, IHelbok, RHelseth, EHorton, LJones, KTheadom, A2025-07-312025-07-312021Journal of Neurotrauma, ISSN: 0897-7151 (Print); 1557-9042 (Online), Mary Ann Liebert Inc, 38(2), 235-251. doi: 10.1089/neu.2020.72280897-71511557-9042http://hdl.handle.net/10292/19615Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of disability, but little is known about sex and gender differences after TBI. We aimed to analyze the association between sex/gender, and the broad range of care pathways, treatment characteristics, and outcomes following mild and moderate/severe TBI. We performed mixed-effects regression analyses in the prospective multi-center Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study, stratified for injury severity and age, and adjusted for baseline characteristics. Outcomes were various care pathway and treatment variables, and 6-month measures of functional outcome, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), post-concussion symptoms (PCS), and mental health symptoms. The study included 2862 adults (36% women) with mild (mTBI; Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score 13-15), and 1333 adults (26% women) with moderate/severe TBI (GCS score 3-12). Women were less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU; odds ratios [OR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4-0.8) following mTBI. Following moderate/severe TBI, women had a shorter median hospital stay (OR 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5-1.0). Following mTBI, women had poorer outcomes; lower Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE; OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.6), lower generic and disease-specific HRQoL, and more severe PCS, depression, and anxiety. Among them, women under age 45 and above age 65 years showed worse 6-month outcomes compared with men of the same age. Following moderate/severe TBI, there was no difference in GOSE (OR 0.9, 95% CI: 0.7-1.2), but women reported more severe PCS (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.6). Men and women differ in care pathways and outcomes following TBI. Women generally report worse 6-month outcomes, but the size of differences depend on TBI severity and age. Future studies should examine factors that explain these differences.© Ana Mikoli‡ et al., 2021; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Open Access. Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0). This Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/care pathwayoutcomessex differencestraumatic brain injurytreatment5203 Clinical and Health Psychology52 PsychologyMental HealthPhysical Injury - Accidents and Adverse EffectsBrain DisordersTraumatic Head and Spine InjuryRehabilitationClinical ResearchTraumatic Brain Injury (TBI)NeurosciencesMental health3 Good Health and Well Being1103 Clinical Sciences1109 NeurosciencesNeurology & Neurosurgery3202 Clinical sciences3209 Neurosciences5202 Biological psychologyAdultAge FactorsAgedBrain Injuries, TraumaticPersons with DisabilitiesFemaleGlasgow Outcome ScaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansIntensive Care UnitsLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisProspective StudiesQuality of LifeSex FactorsTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultAdultAge FactorsAgedBrain Injuries, TraumaticPersons with DisabilitiesFemaleGlasgow Outcome ScaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansIntensive Care UnitsLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisProspective StudiesQuality of LifeSex FactorsTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1089/neu.2020.7228