Arizona State University researchers study sex-based brain injury responses

Researchers at Arizona State University have identified that patterns of hormone changes and gene activity in the brain differ between males and females following a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In a study published in Science Advances, Sarah Stabenfeldt and Christopher Plaisier explored how injury-induced stress activates immune responses and shifts energy to prioritize healing. The research highlights how sex-based biological factors, particularly hormones, influence the pathways the body activates to either support tissue repair or contribute to further damage, such as the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.

Mapping these affected biological pathways is intended to advance the development of targeted therapeutics and interventions, with the goal of providing the right treatment to the right patient at the right time.