A SCOTTISH research team is urging women to donate their brains for medical science in a bid to help others overcome traumatic injuries.
In recent weeks, a number of studies have linked sports-related head injuries to dementia and other serious health problems. But most research in this field is based around men.
Now a Scots unit is to partner with an international charity working to help women with brain injuries overcome trauma.
The Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group is joining forces with New York-based PINK Concussions, which focuses on female brain injury from sport, violence and military service.
The work will include the link to progressive condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE, which causes mood and behavioural problems and is thought to be caused by repeated cranial blows.
But to further the scientific investigations, the experts will need to recruit more than 2000 women to leave their organs for medical exploration.
Today they have launched an international appeal for donors.
Lead researcher Dr Willie Stewart, of the Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group, said the work is vital.
The internationally renowned researcher recently published a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that former professional footballers are 3.5 times more likely to die with neurodegenerative disease than their matched population counterparts.
READ MORE: Study links football to increased risk of dementia and MND
READ MORE: Scottish youth footballers urged to avoid heading the ball
Stewart said: “I am delighted that the Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group has partnered with PINK Concussions.
“Despite the many advances in understanding outcomes from brain injury we and others have reported, we must recognise that sex differences have not been adequately explored.”
“I hope that through this partnership more females will consider registering to donate their brain for research to allow us to take forward these important studies.”
Katherine Snedaker, founder and executive director of PINK Concussions, said: “In the past, the focus of brain injury research has primarily been on male brains, without any active recruitment for women to pledge their brains after death.
“We are so excited to partner with Dr Stewart and his colleagues in Glasgow to launch the first active recruitment of women in the UK to be a part of brain injury and CTE research.”
Information on the work of the Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group, including how to register for brain donation is available at www.gbirg.inp.gla.ac.uk/register-for-brain-donation.
Women interested in participating in research brain donation should visit www.pinkconcussions.com.
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