Associations between frequent pain or headaches and neurobehavioral symptoms by gender and TBI severity.

Objective

To investigate differences in frequent pain or headaches and associated neurobehavioral symptoms among men, women, and transgender individuals with and without a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Setting

CommunityParticipants: English and Spanish-speaking adults (n = 2,862) with and without self-reported TBIDesign: Cross-sectional studyMain Measures: Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BAST) subscales for Negative Affect, Substance Abuse, Executive Function, Fatigue, Impulsivity, and one item for experiencing "frequent pain or headache."

Results

Women reported more pain than men. Women with a mild TBI (mTBI) more often reported frequent headaches/pain than woman in general or those with mTBI alone. Women reporting frequent headache/pain reported more negative affect and fatigue than men with comparable TBI history. Individuals identifying as transgender/other without TBI had higher negative affect and fatigue than both men and women without TBI. Individuals with mTBI and frequent headache/pain reported more executive function problems than those with mTBI without headache/pain. Pain and moderate/severe TBI were associated with more executive function problems in men and women, but more so for women.

Conclusion

Results suggest frequent headache/pain may differ between genders, particularly after mTBI. Pain, fatigue, executive function, and negative affect may be especially important in women's recovery from TBI.