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Fabian CB, Jordan ND, Cole RH, Carley LG, Thompson SM, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Parvalbumin interneuron mGlu 5 receptors govern sex differences in prefrontal cortex physiology and binge drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01889-0. [PMID: 38773314 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01889-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. The proper function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. The activity of the PFC is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), a key subpopulation of fast-spiking GABAergic cells that regulate cortical excitability through direct innervations onto the perisomatic regions of nearby pyramidal cells. Recent rodent studies have identified notable sex differences in PV-IN activity and adaptations to experiences such as binge drinking. Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie sex-specific regulation of PFC PV-IN function. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and selective pharmacology, we report that PV-INs from female mice are more excitable than those from males. Moreover, we find that mGlu1 and mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors regulate cell excitability, excitatory drive, and endocannabinoid signaling at PFC PV-INs in a sex-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of mGlu5 receptors from PV-expressing cells abrogates all sex differences observed in PV-IN membrane and synaptic physiology. Lastly, we report that female, but not male, PV-mGlu5-/- mice exhibit decreased voluntary drinking on an intermittent access schedule, which could be related to changes in ethanol's stimulant properties. Importantly, these studies identify mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors as candidate signaling molecules involved in sex differences in PV-IN activity and behaviors relevant to alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly B Fabian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nilah D Jordan
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca H Cole
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lily G Carley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shannon M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marianne L Seney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Zhao S, Sang F, Liu C, Wang F, Liu J, Chen C, Wang J, Li X, Zhang Z. Age-related enhancement of the association between episodic memory and gray matter volume in medial temporal and frontal lobes. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:10. [PMID: 38702688 PMCID: PMC11069137 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00237-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Episodic memory (EM) deteriorates as a result of normal aging as well as Alzheimer's disease. The neural underpinnings of such age-related memory impairments in older individuals are not well-understood. Although previous research has unveiled the association between gray matter volume (GMV) and EM in the elderly population, such findings exhibit variances across distinct age cohorts. Consequently, an investigation into the dynamic evolution of this relationship with advancing age is imperative. RESULT The present study utilized a sliding window approach to examine how the correlation between EM and GMV varied with age in a cross-sectional sample of 926 Chinese older adults. We found that both verbal EM (VEM) and spatial EM (SEM) exhibited positive correlations with GMV in extensive areas primarily in the temporal and frontal lobes and that these correlations typically became stronger with older age. Moreover, there were variations in the strength of the correlation between EM and GMV with age, which differed based on sex and the specific type of EM. Specifically, the association between VEM and GMVs in the insula and parietal regions became stronger with age for females but not for males, whereas the association between SEM and GMVs in the parietal and occipital regions became stronger for males but not for females. At the brain system level, there is a significant age-related increase in the correlations between both types of EM and the GMV of both the anterior temporal (AT) system and the posterior medial (PM) system in male group. In females, both types of EM show stronger age-related correlations with the GMV of the AT system compared to males. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed a significant positive correlation between GMV in most regions associated with EM and age, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes. This discovery offers new insights into the connection between brain structure and the diminishing episodic memory function among older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaokun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Feng Sang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Fei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jiawen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Zhanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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Fabian CB, Jordan ND, Cole RH, Carley LG, Thompson SM, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Parvalbumin interneuron mGlu 5 receptors govern sex differences in prefrontal cortex physiology and binge drinking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.20.567903. [PMID: 38045379 PMCID: PMC10690210 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.20.567903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite established sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of psychiatric disorders, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms that guide these differences under basal conditions. Proper function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for the top-down regulation of motivated behaviors. Activity of the PFC is tightly controlled by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), a key subpopulation of fast-spiking GABAergic cells that regulate cortical excitability through direct innervations onto the perisomatic regions of nearby pyramidal cells. Recent rodent studies have identified notable sex differences in PV-IN activity and adaptations to experiences such as binge drinking. Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie sex-specific regulation of PFC PV-IN function. Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology and selective pharmacology, we report that PV-INs from female mice are more excitable than those from males. Moreover, we find that mGlu1 and mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors regulate cell excitability, excitatory drive, and endocannabinoid signaling at PFC PV-INs in a sex-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of mGlu5 receptors from PV-expressing cells abrogates all sex differences observed in PV-IN membrane and synaptic physiology. Lastly, we report that female, but not male, PV-mGlu5-/- mice exhibit decreased voluntary drinking on an intermittent access schedule, which could be related to changes in ethanol's stimulant properties. Importantly, these studies identify mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors as candidate signaling molecules involved in sex differences in PV-IN activity and behaviors relevant for alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly B Fabian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Nilah D Jordan
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Rebecca H Cole
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Lily G Carley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Shannon M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Marianne L Seney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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Sanchis-Segura C, Wilcox RR, Cruz-Gómez AJ, Félix-Esbrí S, Sebastián-Tirado A, Forn C. Univariate and multivariate sex differences and similarities in gray matter volume within essential language-processing areas. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:90. [PMID: 38129916 PMCID: PMC10740309 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00575-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences in language-related abilities have been reported. It is generally assumed that these differences stem from a different organization of language in the brains of females and males. However, research in this area has been relatively scarce, methodologically heterogeneous and has yielded conflicting results. METHODS Univariate and multivariate sex differences and similarities in gray matter volume (GMVOL) within 18 essential language-processing brain areas were assessed in a sex-balanced sample (N = 588) of right-handed young adults. Univariate analyses involved location, spread, and shape comparisons of the females' and males' distributions and were conducted with several robust statistical methods able to quantify the size of sex differences and similarities in a complementary way. Multivariate sex differences and similarities were estimated by the same methods in the continuous scores provided by two distinct multivariate procedures (logistic regression and a multivariate analog of the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test). Additional analyses were addressed to compare the outcomes of these two multivariate analytical strategies and described their structure (that is, the relative contribution of each brain area to the multivariate effects). RESULTS When not adjusted for total intracranial volume (TIV) variation, "large" univariate sex differences (males > females) were found in all 18 brain areas considered. In contrast, "small" differences (females > males) in just two of these brain areas were found when controlling for TIV. The two multivariate methods tested provided very similar results. Multivariate sex differences surpassed univariate differences, yielding "large" differences indicative of larger volumes in males when calculated from raw GMVOL estimates. Conversely, when calculated from TIV-adjusted GMVOL, multivariate differences were "medium" and indicative of larger volumes in females. Despite their distinct size and direction, multivariate sex differences in raw and TIV-adjusted GMVOL shared a similar structure and allowed us to identify the components of the SENT_CORE network which more likely contribute to the observed effects. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm and extend previous findings about univariate sex differences in language-processing areas, offering unprecedented evidence at the multivariate level. We also observed that the size and direction of these differences vary quite substantially depending on whether they are estimated from raw or TIV-adjusted GMVOL measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Sanchis-Segura
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica Clinica I Psicobiología, Facultat de Ciències de La Salut, Universitat Jaume I, Avda Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain.
| | - Rand R Wilcox
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Sonia Félix-Esbrí
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica Clinica I Psicobiología, Facultat de Ciències de La Salut, Universitat Jaume I, Avda Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Alba Sebastián-Tirado
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica Clinica I Psicobiología, Facultat de Ciències de La Salut, Universitat Jaume I, Avda Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain
| | - Cristina Forn
- Departament de Psicologia Bàsica Clinica I Psicobiología, Facultat de Ciències de La Salut, Universitat Jaume I, Avda Sos Baynat, SN, 12071, Castelló, Spain
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Suarez LM, Diaz-Del Cerro E, Felix J, Gonzalez-Sanchez M, Ceprian N, Guerra-Perez N, G Novelle M, Martinez de Toda I, De la Fuente M. Sex differences in neuroimmunoendocrine communication. Involvement on longevity. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 211:111798. [PMID: 36907251 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine, nervous, and immune systems work coordinately to maintain the global homeostasis of the organism. They show sex differences in their functions that, in turn, contribute to sex differences beyond reproductive function. Females display a better control of the energetic metabolism and improved neuroprotection and have more antioxidant defenses and a better inflammatory status than males, which is associated with a more robust immune response than that of males. These differences are present from the early stages of life, being more relevant in adulthood and influencing the aging trajectory in each sex and may contribute to the different life lifespan between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz M Suarez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Estefania Diaz-Del Cerro
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Felix
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica Gonzalez-Sanchez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemi Ceprian
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Guerra-Perez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta G Novelle
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Martinez de Toda
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Stapelberg NJC, Braidy N. The sex-dependent response to psychosocial stress and ischaemic heart disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1072042. [PMID: 37153459 PMCID: PMC10160413 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1072042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for modern chronic diseases, with distinct influences in males and females. The sex specificity of the mammalian stress response contributes to the sex-dependent development and impacts of coronary artery disease (CAD). Compared to men, women appear to have greater susceptibility to chronic forms of psychosocial stress, extending beyond an increased incidence of mood disorders to include a 2- to 4-fold higher risk of stress-dependent myocardial infarction in women, and up to 10-fold higher risk of Takotsubo syndrome-a stress-dependent coronary-myocardial disorder most prevalent in post-menopausal women. Sex differences arise at all levels of the stress response: from initial perception of stress to behavioural, cognitive, and affective responses and longer-term disease outcomes. These fundamental differences involve interactions between chromosomal and gonadal determinants, (mal)adaptive epigenetic modulation across the lifespan (particularly in early life), and the extrinsic influences of socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Pre-clinical investigations of biological mechanisms support distinct early life programming and a heightened corticolimbic-noradrenaline-neuroinflammatory reactivity in females vs. males, among implicated determinants of the chronic stress response. Unravelling the intrinsic molecular, cellular and systems biological basis of these differences, and their interactions with external lifestyle/socio-cultural determinants, can guide preventative and therapeutic strategies to better target coronary heart disease in a tailored sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J. Helman
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
- Correspondence: Tessa J. Helman
| | - John P. Headrick
- Schoolof Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
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Manzler CA, Radoman M, Khorrami KJ, Gorka SM. Association between startle reactivity to uncertain threats and structural brain volume. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14074. [PMID: 35579909 PMCID: PMC10080733 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sensitivity to uncertain threat (U-threat) is a clinically important individual difference factor in multiple psychopathologies. Recent studies have implicated a specific frontolimbic circuit as a key network involved in the anticipation of aversive stimuli. In particular, the insula, thalamus, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) have recently been found to be robustly activated by anticipation of U-threat. However, no study to date has examined the association between U-threat reactivity and structural brain volume. In the present study, we utilized a pooled sample of 186 young adult volunteers who completed a structural MRI scan and the well-validated No-Predictable-Unpredictable (NPU) threat of electric shock task. Startle eyeblink potentiation was collected during the NPU task as an objective index of aversive reactivity. ROI-based analyses revealed that increased startle reactivity to U-threat was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the right insula and bilateral thalamus, but not the dACC. These results add to a growing literature implicating the insula and thalamus as core nodes involved in individual differences in U-threat reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A Manzler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Milena Radoman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kia J Khorrami
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Bhattacharjee S, Kashyap R, Goodwill AM, O’Brien BA, Rapp B, Oishi K, Desmond JE, Chen SHA. Sex difference in tDCS current mediated by changes in cortical anatomy: A study across young, middle and older adults. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:125-140. [PMID: 34826627 PMCID: PMC9041842 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The observed variability in the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is influenced by the amount of current reaching the targeted region-of-interest (ROI). Age and sex might affect current density at target ROI due to their impact on cortical anatomy. The present tDCS simulation study investigates the effects of cortical anatomical parameters (volumes, dimension, and torque) on simulated tDCS current density in healthy young, middle-aged, and older males and females. METHODOLOGY Individualized head models from 240 subjects (120 males, 18-87 years of age) were used to identify the estimated current density (2 mA current intensity, 25 cm2 electrode) from two simulated tDCS montages (CP5_CZ and F3_FP2) targeting the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG), respectively. Cortical parameters including segmented brain volumes (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF], grey and white matter), cerebral-dimensions (length/width &length/height) and brain-torque (front and back shift, petalia, and bending) were measured using the magnetic resonance images (MRIs) from each subject. The present study estimated sex differences in current density at these target ROIs mediated by these cortical parameters within each age group. RESULTS For both tDCS montages, females in the older age group received higher current density than their male counterparts at the target ROIs. No sex differences were observed in the middle-aged group. Males in the younger age group had a higher current density than females, only for the parietal montage. Across all age groups, CSF, and grey matter volumes significantly predicted the current intensity estimated at the target sites. In the older age group only, brain-torque was a significant mediator of the sex difference. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the presence of sex differences in the simulated tDCS current density, however this pattern differed across age groups and stimulation locations. Future studies should consider influence of age and sex on individual cortical anatomy and tailor tDCS stimulation parameters accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagarika Bhattacharjee
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore,,Corresponding authors: Sagarika Bhattacharjee,
Psychology, School of Social Sciences, College of Humanities, Arts, & Social
Sciences, 48 Nanyang Ave, Singapore (639818).
or Prof SH Annabel Chen Psychology, School of
Social Sciences, College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, 48 Nanyang
Ave, Singapore (639818).
| | - Rajan Kashyap
- Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE),
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Alicia M. Goodwill
- Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE),
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group,
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Beth Ann O’Brien
- Centre for Research in Child Development (CRCD), National
Institute of Education, Singapore
| | - Brenda Rapp
- The Johns Hopkins University, Krieger School of Arts and
Sciences, Baltimore, United States
| | - Kenichi Oishi
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore,
United States
| | - John E. Desmond
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore,
United States
| | - SH Annabel Chen
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore,,Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE),
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKC Medicine), Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore,Corresponding authors: Sagarika Bhattacharjee,
Psychology, School of Social Sciences, College of Humanities, Arts, & Social
Sciences, 48 Nanyang Ave, Singapore (639818).
or Prof SH Annabel Chen Psychology, School of
Social Sciences, College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, 48 Nanyang
Ave, Singapore (639818).
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Revealing the Influences of Sex Hormones and Sex Differences in Atrial Fibrillation and Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168776. [PMID: 34445515 PMCID: PMC8396287 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts of sex differences on the biology of various organ systems and the influences of sex hormones on modulating health and disease have become increasingly relevant in clinical and biomedical research. A growing body of evidence has recently suggested fundamental sex differences in cardiovascular and cognitive function, including anatomy, pathophysiology, incidence and age of disease onset, symptoms affecting disease diagnosis, disease severity, progression, and treatment responses and outcomes. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently recognized as the most prevalent sustained arrhythmia and might contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), including a range of cognitive deficits, from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. In this review, we describe sex-based differences and sex hormone functions in the physiology of the brain and vasculature and the pathophysiology of disorders therein, with special emphasis on AF and VCI. Deciphering how sex hormones and their receptor signaling (estrogen and androgen receptors) potentially impact on sex differences could help to reveal disease links between AF and VCI and identify therapeutic targets that may lead to potentially novel therapeutic interventions early in the disease course of AF and VCI.
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10
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Sex difference in cerebral blood flow and cerebral glucose metabolism: an activation-likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Nucl Med Commun 2021; 42:410-415. [PMID: 33306626 DOI: 10.1097/mnm.0000000000001343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sex differences exist in a variety of aspects including neurochemicals as well as behavioral traits of cognition, language, and aggression. We performed a meta-analysis of studies using a coordinate-based technique of activation-likelihood estimation (ALE) to identify the pooled estimated effect of sex difference. METHODS We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE for English-language publications using the keywords of 'positron emission tomography (PET)', 'single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)', and 'sex'. A threshold of uncorrected P < 0.001 (minimum volume of 200 mm3) was applied to the resulting ALE map. RESULTS Cerebral blood flow (CBF) in right precuneus, left superior temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal, left inferior frontal gyrus, right cerebellar tonsil, and right middle temporal gyrus was higher in females than males. CBF in left anterior cingulate was higher in males than females. Whereas, the cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRglu) in left thalamus, left cingulate gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule, left medial frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right midbrain, and left inferior parietal lobule was higher in females than males. However, there was no brain region that showed higher CMRglu in males than females. CONCLUSION Regional CBF and CMRglu from PET and SPECT showed the difference between males and females.
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11
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The relationship between cortical thickness and language comprehension varies with sex in healthy young adults: a large sample analysis. Neuroreport 2021; 31:184-188. [PMID: 31895746 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging studies evaluating sex differences in language processing have been previously reported. However, it remains largely unclear whether there are structural bases for language comprehension and whether these are partially affected by sexual dimorphism in cortical thickness. To this end, we performed correlation analysis between cortical thickness and language comprehension in a large (N = 1017, 549 females, 468 males) young and healthy subjects from Human Connectome Project, with a specific focus on the impact of sex. We identified significant relationship between cortical thickness of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and vocabulary comprehension in females (r = 0.318, r = 10%), while the association was significantly reduced in males (P = 0.017, Cohen's q = 0.154). Furthermore, thickness difference in the PCC was observed to be smaller in females (P < 0.0001, t = -7.12, Cohen's d = 0.45); however, the difference disappeared when controlling for brain size (Cohen's d = 0.002). Our findings indicated that variability in cortical thickness may affect cognitive function much more in females than in males, and highlighted the importance of brain size in explaining sex-specific cortical thickness.
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Gaillard A, Fehring DJ, Rossell SL. Sex differences in executive control: A systematic review of functional neuroimaging studies. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:2592-2611. [PMID: 33423339 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The number of studies investigating sex differences in executive functions, particularly those using human functional neuroimaging techniques, has risen dramatically in the past decade. However, the influences of sex on executive function are still underexplored and poorly characterized. To address this, we conducted a systematic literature review of functional neuroimaging studies investigating sex differences in three prominent executive control domains of cognitive set-shifting, performance monitoring, and response inhibition. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched. Following the application of exclusion criteria, 21 studies were included, with a total of 677 females and 686 males. Ten of these studies were fMRI and PET, eight were EEG, and three were NIRS. At present, there is evidence for sex differences in the neural networks underlying all tasks of executive control included in this review suggesting males and females engage different strategies depending on task demands. There was one task exception, the 2-Back task, which showed no sex differences. Due to methodological variability and the involvement of multiple neural networks, a simple overarching statement with regard to gender differences during executive control cannot be provided. As such, we discuss limitations within the current literature and methodological considerations that should be employed in future research. Importantly, sex differences in neural mechanisms are present in the majority of tasks assessed, and thus should not be ignored in future research. PROSPERO registration information: CRD42019124772.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gaillard
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC., Australia
| | - Daniel J Fehring
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC., Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Clayton, VIC., Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC., Australia.,Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC., Australia
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13
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Decoding verbal working memory representations of Chinese characters from Broca's area. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117595. [PMID: 33248261 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Representations of sensory working memory can be found across the entire neocortex. But how are verbal working memory (VWM) contents retained in the human brain? Here we used fMRI and multi-voxel pattern analyses to study Chinese native speakers (15 males, 13 females) memorizing Chinese characters. Chinese characters are uniquely suitable to study VWM because verbal encoding is encouraged by their complex visual appearance and monosyllabic pronunciation. We found that activity patterns in Broca's area and left premotor cortex carried information about the memorized characters. These language-related areas carried (1) significantly more information about cued characters than those not cued for memorization, (2) significantly more information on the left than the right hemisphere and (3) significantly more information about Chinese symbols than complex visual patterns which are hard to verbalize. In contrast, early visual cortex carries a comparable amount of information about cued and uncued stimuli and is thus unlikely to be involved in memory retention. This study provides evidence for verbal working memory maintenance in a distributed network of language-related brain regions, consistent with distributed accounts of WM. The results also suggest that Broca's area and left premotor cortex form the articulatory network which serves articulatory rehearsal in the retention of verbal working memory contents.
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14
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Jalali MM, Faghih Habibi A, Ghorbani Samin M. Predictors of Olfactory Impairment among Northern Iranian Population. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY 2020; 32:271-279. [PMID: 33014903 PMCID: PMC7515626 DOI: 10.22038/ijorl.2019.40358.2325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Introduction The performance in most smell identification tests is subjected to cultural variations. This study aimed to evaluate age, gender, and smoking-related effects on the test performance in the North of Iran. Materials and Methods The olfactory function of 1470 eligible subjects was assessed in this study. Moreover, this study evaluated the influence of age, gender, and education on the test scores. Results According to the results, females obtained higher mean test scores, compared to males (18.4 vs. 17.6). In general, the elderly obtained lower scores, and about 30% of the subjects who were ≥65 years of age had severe hyposmia or anosmia. Furthermore, the olfactory impairment frequency in smoker subjects was significantly more than non-smokers (P<0.001). Test scores were generally higher in subjects with higher education levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the total number of cigarette doses in smokers and age had a significant association with olfactory dysfunction (P value <0.001 and 0.004, respectively). Cronbach's α of Iran-SIT was obtained at 0.78 which was more than an acceptable value of 0.7. Conclusion The findings of this study revealed that a low score in the Iran-SIT correlated with smoking, older age, low education level, and gender (male).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mir Mohammad Jalali
- Otorhinolaryngology Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Ali Faghih Habibi
- Otorhinolaryngology Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
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15
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Van der Wal A, Luyten T, Cardon E, Jacquemin L, Vanderveken OM, Topsakal V, Van de Heyning P, De Hertogh W, Van Looveren N, Van Rompaey V, Michiels S, Gilles A. Sex Differences in the Response to Different Tinnitus Treatment. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:422. [PMID: 32477049 PMCID: PMC7235341 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Tinnitus is a complex symptom requiring a thorough multidisciplinary assessment to construct an individual’s tinnitus profile. The Antwerp University Hospital hosts a tertiary tinnitus clinic providing intensive, multidisciplinary tinnitus care in the form of combinational psychological treatment with either Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or TRT/eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), and physical therapy treatment (in cases of somatic influence of the neck or the temporomandibular area). Several factors may contribute to therapy effect of which the role of gender has recently gained more interest. As such, the current manuscript explores gender differences in the outcome of different tinnitus treatments. Methods Data on treatment outcome of four distinct tinnitus treatments (1. HD-tDCS; 2. orofacial physical therapy; 3. combination TRT + CBT; and 4. combination TRT + EMDR) were pooled and compared. Treatment outcome was assessed via the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI). Participants completed the TFI at baseline, immediately after treatment and after 9 weeks (±3 weeks) follow-up. To explore the effect of gender on different treatment outcomes, a linear mixed model was designed including Time point, Gender, and Therapy Group as fixed factors as well as all interactions between these factors. Results TFI scores improved significantly over time regardless of therapy group (p < 0.0001). A mean TFI decrease of at least 13 points was obtained by all participants except by those in the HD-tDCS. Significant interactions between Gender and Time point were identified in all groups except for the TRT +EMDR group. Female subjects improved more extensively than males in the HD-tDCS (p = 0.0009) and orofacial therapy group (p = 0.0299). Contrarily, in the TRT +CBT group, male participants showed a significant improvement whereas the mean TFI scores of female subjects remained on baseline levels (p = 0.0138). Conclusion Our data suggest that male and female tinnitus patients seem to react differently to different therapy options. We strongly encourage further prospective studies to discern the relevance of gender in therapy outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Van der Wal
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tine Luyten
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Emilie Cardon
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Laure Jacquemin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Olivier M Vanderveken
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Vedat Topsakal
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Paul Van de Heyning
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Willem De Hertogh
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Vincent Van Rompaey
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sarah Michiels
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annick Gilles
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.,Department of Translational Neurosciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Education, Health and Social Work, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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16
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Drummen M, Heinecke A, Dorenbos E, Vreugdenhil A, Raben A, Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Adam TC. Reductions in body weight and insulin resistance are not associated with changes in grey matter volume or cortical thickness during the PREVIEW study. J Neurol Sci 2019; 403:106-111. [PMID: 31255969 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The effect of changes in body weight or insulin resistance on grey matter volume and cortical thickness change are unclear. The present observational study assessed effects of an 8-week weight loss period (≥8% of body weight), and a subsequent 22-month weight maintenance period on grey matter volume and cortical thickness. METHODS A total of 24 participants (12f/12 m; age 52.8 ± 10.6 years) with overweight/obesity and pre-diabetes were recruited. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine grey matter volume and cortical thickness at baseline, after the weight loss period and after a medium to high dietary protein weight maintenance period. RESULTS At baseline, global grey matter volume was inversely associated with HOMA-IR, adjusted for sex and age (r = -0.42; p = .049). During the weight loss period participants decreased their BMI (32.1 ± 3.3 to 28.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2, p < .01), body-fat (41.6 ± 6.4 to 35.0 ± 8.0%, p < .01) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR: 4.0 ± 2.0 to 1.8 ± 0.9, p < .01). During the 22-month weight maintenance period, these parameters gradually increased again (BMI: 29.3 ± 3.8 kg/m2; body-fat: 37.8 ± 9.3%; HOMA-IR: 2.9 ± 1.4, p < .01). Global grey matter volume and cortical thickness did not change significantly during the weight loss or weight maintenance period. Changes in body weight, body-fat percentage or insulin sensitivity were not associated with changes in global grey matter volume. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we confirmed that global grey brain matter volume was inversely associated with insulin resistance at baseline, yet an intervention yielding a decrease in insulin resistance did not lead to changes in global grey brain matter volume or cortical thickness. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01777893.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Drummen
- Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht, the Netherlands; NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
| | - A Heinecke
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - E Dorenbos
- Centre for Overweight Adolescent and Children's Health Care (COACH), Department of Paediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, the Netherlands; NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - A Vreugdenhil
- Centre for Overweight Adolescent and Children's Health Care (COACH), Department of Paediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, the Netherlands; NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - A Raben
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M S Westerterp-Plantenga
- NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - T C Adam
- Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht, the Netherlands; NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
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17
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Stam D, Huang YA, Van den Stock J. Non-overlapping and Inverse Associations Between the Sexes in Structural Brain-Trait Associations. Front Psychol 2019; 10:904. [PMID: 31105624 PMCID: PMC6491880 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Personality reflects the set of psychological traits and mechanisms characteristic for an individual. The brain-trait association between personality and gray matter volume (GMv) has been well studied. However, a recent study has shown that brain structure-personality relationships are highly dependent on sex. In addition, the present study investigates the role of sex on the association between temperaments and regional GMv. Sixty-six participants (33 male) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and underwent structural magnetic resonance brain imaging. Mann-Whitney U tests showed a significant higher score on Novelty Seeking (NS) and Reward Dependence (RD) for females, but no significant group effects were found for Harm Avoidance (HA) and Persistence (P) score. Full factor model analyses were performed to investigate sex-temperament interaction effects on GMv. This revealed increased GMv for females in the superior temporal gyrus when linked to NS, middle temporal gyrus for HA, and the insula for RD. Males displayed increased GMv compared to females relating to P in the posterior cingulate gyrus, the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the middle cingulate gyrus, compared to females. Multiple regression analysis showed clear differences between the brain regions that correlate with female subjects and the brain correlates that correlate with male subjects. No overlap was observed between sex-specific brain-trait associations. These results increase the knowledge of the role of sex on the structural neurobiology of personality and indicate that sex differences reflect structural differences observed in the normal brain. Furthermore, sex hormones seem an important underlying factor for the found sex differences in brain-trait associations. The present study indicates an important role for sex in these brain structure-personality relationships, and implies that sex should not just be added as a covariate of no interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne Stam
- Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yun-An Huang
- Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Van den Stock
- Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Brain and Emotion Laboratory, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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18
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Seitz J, Kubicki M, Jacobs EG, Cherkerzian S, Weiss BK, Papadimitriou G, Mouradian P, Buka S, Goldstein JM, Makris N. Impact of sex and reproductive status on memory circuitry structure and function in early midlife using structural covariance analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 40:1221-1233. [PMID: 30548738 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on age-related memory alterations traditionally targets individuals aged ≥65 years. However, recent studies emphasize the importance of early aging processes. We therefore aimed to characterize variation in brain gray matter structure in early midlife as a function of sex and menopausal status. Subjects included 94 women (33 premenopausal, 29 perimenopausal, and 32 postmenopausal) and 99 demographically comparable men from the New England Family Study. Subjects were scanned with a high-resolution T1 sequence on a 3 T whole body scanner. Sex and reproductive-dependent structural differences were evaluated using Box's M test and analysis of covariances (ANCOVAs) for gray matter volumes. Brain regions of interest included dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior parietal lobule (iPAR), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus (HIPP), and parahippocampus. While we observed expected significant sex differences in volume of hippocampus with women of all groups having higher volumes than men relative to cerebrum size, we also found significant differences in the covariance matrices of perimenopausal women compared with postmenopausal women. Associations between ACC and HIPP/iPAR/DLPFC were higher in postmenopausal women and correlated with better memory performance. Findings in this study underscore the importance of sex and reproductive status in early midlife for understanding memory function with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Seitz
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Center for Neural Systems Investigations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts.,Department of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Emily G Jacobs
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Cherkerzian
- Department of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Blair K Weiss
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - George Papadimitriou
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Center for Neural Systems Investigations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Palig Mouradian
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Center for Neural Systems Investigations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen Buka
- Department of Community Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Jill M Goldstein
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Center for Neural Systems Investigations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts.,Department of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nikos Makris
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Center for Neural Systems Investigations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts
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19
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Klein C, Metz SI, Elmer S, Jäncke L. The interpreter's brain during rest - Hyperconnectivity in the frontal lobe. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202600. [PMID: 30138477 PMCID: PMC6107212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Language in its highest complexity is a unique human faculty with simultaneous translation being among the most demanding language task involving both linguistic and executive functions. In this context, bilingually grown up individuals as well as simultaneous interpreters (SIs) represent appropriate groups for studying expertise-related neural adaptations in the human brain. The present study was performed to examine if a domain-specific neural network activation pattern, constituted by brain regions involved in speech processing as well as cognitive control mechanisms can be detected during a task-free resting state condition. To investigate this, electroencephalographic (EEG) data were recorded from 16 SIs and 16 age and gender-matched multilingual control subjects. Graph-theoretical network analyses revealed interhemispheric hyperconnectivity between the ventral part of the prefrontal cortex (pars opercularis and pars triangularis) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in language experts compared to multilingual controls in the alpha frequency range. This finding suggests that the high cognitive demands placed on simultaneous interpreting lead to an increased neural communication between prefrontal brain regions essentially engaged in supporting executive control—a neural fingerprint that is even detectable during rest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Klein
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Silvana Iris Metz
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Elmer
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Jäncke
- Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- International Normal Aging and Plasticity Imaging Center (INAPIC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Dynamic of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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20
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Loprinzi PD, Frith E. The Role of Sex in Memory Function: Considerations and Recommendations in the Context of Exercise. J Clin Med 2018; 7:jcm7060132. [PMID: 29857518 PMCID: PMC6028920 DOI: 10.3390/jcm7060132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
There is evidence to suggest that biological sex plays a critical role in memory function, with sex differentially influencing memory type. In this review, we detail the current evidence evaluating sex-specific effects on various memory types. We also discuss potential mechanisms that explain these sex-specific effects, which include sex differences in neuroanatomy, neurochemical differences, biological differences, and cognitive and affect-related differences. Central to this review, we also highlight that, despite the established sex differences in memory, there is little work directly comparing whether males and females have a differential exercise-induced effect on memory function. As discussed herein, such a differential effect is plausible given the clear sex-specific effects on memory, exercise response, and molecular mediators of memory. We emphasize that future work should be carefully powered to detect sex differences. Future research should also examine these potential exercise-related sex-specific effects for various memory types and exercise intensities and modalities. This will help enhance our understanding of whether sex indeed moderates the effects of exercise and memory function, and as such, will improve our understanding of whether sex-specific, memory-enhancing interventions should be developed, implemented, and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Loprinzi
- Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Emily Frith
- Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
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21
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Meyer CE, Kurth F, Lepore S, Gao JL, Johnsonbaugh H, Oberoi MR, Sawiak SJ, MacKenzie-Graham A. In vivo magnetic resonance images reveal neuroanatomical sex differences through the application of voxel-based morphometry in C57BL/6 mice. Neuroimage 2017; 163:197-205. [PMID: 28923275 PMCID: PMC5716897 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviorally relevant sex differences are often associated with structural differences in the brain and many diseases are sexually dimorphic in prevalence and progression. Characterizing sex differences is imperative to gaining a complete understanding of behavior and disease which will, in turn, allow for a balanced approach to scientific research and the development of therapies. In this study, we generated novel tissue probability maps (TPMs) based on 30 male and 30 female in vivo C57BL/6 mouse brain magnetic resonance images and used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze sex differences. Females displayed larger anterior hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, and lateral cerebellar cortex volumes, while males exhibited larger cerebral cortex, medial amygdala, and medial cerebellar cortex volumes. Atlas-based morphometry (ABM) revealed a statistically significant sex difference in cortical volume and no difference in whole cerebellar volume. This validated our VBM findings that showed a larger cerebral cortex in male mice and a pattern of dimorphism in the cerebellum where the lateral portion was larger in females and the medial portion was larger in males. These results are consonant with previous ex vivo studies examining sex differences, but also suggest further regions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra E Meyer
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Florian Kurth
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stefano Lepore
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Josephine L Gao
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hadley Johnsonbaugh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mandavi R Oberoi
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stephen J Sawiak
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Box 65 Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Allan MacKenzie-Graham
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Kurth F, Jancke L, Luders E. Sexual dimorphism of Broca's region: More gray matter in female brains in Brodmann areas 44 and 45. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:626-632. [PMID: 27870461 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Although a sexual dimorphism in brain structure is generally well established, evidence for sex differences in Brodmann areas (BA) 44 and 45 is inconclusive. This may be due to the difficulty of accurately defining BA 44 and BA 45 in magnetic resonance images, given that these regions are variable in their location and extent and that they do not match well with macroanatomic landmarks. Here we set out to test for possible sex differences in the local gray matter of BA 44/45 by integrating imaging-based signal intensities with cytoarchitectonically defined tissue probabilities in a sample of 50 male and 50 female subjects. In addition to testing for sex differences with respect to left- and right-hemispheric measures of BA 44/45, we also assessed possible sex differences in BA 44/45 asymmetry. Our analyses revealed significantly larger gray matter volumes in females compared with males for BA 44 and BA 45 bilaterally. However, there was a lack of significant sex differences in BA 44/45 asymmetry. These results corroborate reports of a language-related female superiority, particularly with respect to verbal fluency and verbal memory tasks. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Kurth
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
| | - Lutz Jancke
- Department of Neuropsychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University Research Priority Program (URPP) "Dynamic of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eileen Luders
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
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The effect of sex and menstrual phase on memory formation during a nap. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 145:119-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Weis S, Hodgetts S, Hausmann M. Sex differences and menstrual cycle effects in cognitive and sensory resting state networks. Brain Cogn 2017; 131:66-73. [PMID: 29030069 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It has not yet been established if resting state (RS) connectivity reflects stable characteristics of the brain, or if it is modulated by the psychological and/or physiological state of the participant. Based on research demonstrating sex hormonal effects in task-related brain activity, the present study aimed to investigate corresponding differences in RS networks. RS functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (RS fMRI) was conducted in women during three different menstrual cycle phases, while men underwent three repeated RS fMRI testing sessions. Independent component analysis was used to identify the default mode network (DMN) and an auditory RS network. For the DMN, RS connectivity was stable across testing sessions in men, but varied across the menstrual cycle in women. For the auditory network (AN), retest reliable sex difference was found. Although RS activity in the DMN has been interpreted as trait characteristic of functional brain organization, these findings suggest that RS activity in networks involving frontal areas might be less stable than in sensory-based networks and can dynamically fluctuate. This also implies that some of the previously reported effects of sex hormones on task-related activity might to some extent be mediated by cycle-related fluctuations in RS activity, especially when frontal areas are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Weis
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Psychology, Durham University, UK; Durham University Neuroimaging Centre (DUNIC), UK.
| | - Sophie Hodgetts
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, UK; Durham University Neuroimaging Centre (DUNIC), UK
| | - Markus Hausmann
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, UK; Durham University Neuroimaging Centre (DUNIC), UK
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Yamazaki M, Tamura K. The menstrual cycle affects recognition of emotional expressions: an event-related potential study. F1000Res 2017; 6:853. [PMID: 28868136 PMCID: PMC5558101 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.11563.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Several studies have investigated the relationship between behavioral changes and the menstrual cycle in female subjects at a reproductive age. The present study investigated the relationship between the menstrual cycle and emotional face recognition by measuring the N170 component of ERPs. Methods: We measured N170 of twelve women in both follicular phase and late luteal phase who were presented with human facial expressions as stimuli (happy and angry). Results: In the follicular phase, participants showed a significantly larger response to happy male facial expressions. In the late luteal phase, participants had longer reaction times to all emotional stimuli, and a significantly reduced response to happy faces, especially happy male facial expressions (P<0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the menstrual cycle modulates early visual cognitive processing, and highlight the importance of considering the menstrual cycle phase in studies that investigate emotion and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madoka Yamazaki
- Division of Health Science, Daito Bunka University, 560 Iwadono, Higashimatsuyama, Saitama, 355-8501, Japan
| | - Kyoko Tamura
- Division of Health Science, Daito Bunka University, 560 Iwadono, Higashimatsuyama, Saitama, 355-8501, Japan
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Liu J, Wang D, Li X, Wang N. Association Between Sex and Speech Auditory Brainstem Responses in Adults, and Relationship to Sex Hormone Levels. Med Sci Monit 2017; 23:2275-2283. [PMID: 28501877 PMCID: PMC5439379 DOI: 10.12659/msm.904651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sex and speech-ABR in adults, and its relationship to sex hormone levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS Speech-ABR were elicited with the consonant-vowel syllable (/da/) in a total of 35 adults. Reproductive hormone levels were also measured. RESULTS The transient response of the speech-ABR (waves V, A, and O) in females show a shorter latency (waves V, A and O) and a larger amplitude (waves V and A) than in males (P<0.05), except for the amplitude of peak O (P>0.05). The sustained response of females exhibited a larger amplitude (wave F, P<0.05) and a shorter latency (wave D, E, and F, P<0.05) than in males, except for the amplitude of peak D and E (P>0.05). The latencies of speech-ABR were positively correlated with testosterone level (P<0.05), and were negatively correlated with estradiol (E2) levels (P<0.05), except for wave E (P>0.05). The E2 showed a positive correlation with the absolute value of amplitude of the speech-ABR (P < 0.05). On the contrary, total testosterone showed a negative correlation with the absolute value of amplitude the speech-ABR (P<0.05), except for wave D and wave O (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Sex differences in speech-ABR are significant in adults. The latencies and amplitude of the speech-ABR waves were correlated with the E2 concentration and testosterone level. The sex hormones likely affect speech encoding in the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfeng Liu
- Corresponding Author: Jinfeng Liu, e-mail: or Ningyu Wang, e-mail:
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27
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Vocal emotion processing deficits in HIV-infected individuals. J Neurovirol 2016; 23:304-312. [PMID: 27943048 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-016-0501-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to explore the brain imaging correlates of vocal emotion processing in a group of HIV+ individuals and to compare the vocal emotion processing of HIV+ individuals with a group of healthy adults. We conducted multiple linear regressions to determine the cerebral correlates of a newly designed vocal emotion processing test in a sub-group of HIV+ individuals who completed the cerebral magnetic resonance scan (n = 36). Separately, we test whether the association between our test scores and each cerebral measure persisted regardless of the presence of neurocognitive impairment. We also calculated differences in average test scores between the total HIV+ group (n = 100) and a healthy adult group (n = 46). We found a positive association between the test scores and several brain area volumes: right frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, bilateral thalamus, and left hippocampus. We found a negative association between inflammatory markers in frontal white matter and the test scores. After controlling by neurocognitive impairment, several brain area volumes remained positively associated to the prosody test scores. Moreover, the whole HIV+ sample had significantly poorer test scores than healthy adults, but only in the subset of HIV+ individuals with neurocognitive impairment. For the first time, our results suggest that cerebral dysfunctions in particular brain areas involved in the processing of emotional auditory stimuli may occur in HIV+ individuals. These results highlight the need for broad characterization of the neuropsychological consequence of HIV brain damages.
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Kertzman S, Ben-Nahum Z, Gotzlav I, Grinspan H, Birger M, Kotler M. Digit Symbol Substitution Test Performance: Sex Differences in a Hebrew-Readers' Health Population. Percept Mot Skills 2016; 103:121-30. [PMID: 17037653 DOI: 10.2466/pms.103.1.121-130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Digit Symbol Substitution test is simple to administer and sensitive to individual differences related to cognitive performance. The present study evaluated sex-related differences in performance by a Hebrew reading sample. The test was administered to 275 men and 252 women (age range: 20–44 years). Hebrew women significantly scored higher than the men. Means which increased during four consecutive 30-sec. time periods of performance, was significantly greater for the women than the men. This finding indicates women were more effective on this pair-associated learning task than men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semion Kertzman
- Research Unit, Beer Yakov Mental Health Center, Ramla, Israel.
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Prefrontal activity decline in women under a single dose of diazepam during rule-guided responses: an fMRI study. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:3483-3495. [PMID: 27491682 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4746-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Daily life events confront us with new situations demanding responses to usual and unusual rules. Diazepam (DZ), a clinically important drug, facilitates the inhibitory activity of the GABAergic system. Prefrontal cortex, rich in DZ receptors, coordinates necessary resources to direct actions according to rules. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory activity is critical to achieve optimal function of brain systems leading to complex functions. Major sex differences in the physiological mechanisms of the GABAergic system have been reported. However, the differential influence of DZ on men and women in neural activity during behavior directed by frontal lobes remains unexplored. The ability of healthy volunteers to select responses following usual/congruent and novel/incongruent rules, and brain correlates were measured with fMRI under the administration of DZ and a placebo. 10 mg of DZ was enough to decrease the performance in a different manner between men and women. While reaction times increased in both men and women, women committed more errors selecting responses than men under DZ. Men demonstrated increased activity, while women demonstrated decreased activity in frontal regions involved in response selection of rules. These findings could have important consequences in understanding the differential influences of DZ between the sexes in complex daily life situations. More importantly, this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the differential effects on men and women of drugs widely employed by society, thereby achieves better therapeutic results and avoids side effects that the present study revealed to be different between sexes.
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Hamson DK, Roes MM, Galea LAM. Sex Hormones and Cognition: Neuroendocrine Influences on Memory and Learning. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1295-337. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Marinelli C, Bertalot T, Zusso M, Skaper SD, Giusti P. Systematic Review of Pharmacological Properties of the Oligodendrocyte Lineage. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:27. [PMID: 26903812 PMCID: PMC4751280 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligodendrogenesis and oligodendrocyte precursor maturation are essential processes during the course of central nervous system development, and lead to the myelination of axons. Cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage are generated in the germinal zone from migratory bipolar oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), and acquire cell surface markers as they mature and respond specifically to factors which regulate proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. Loss of myelin underlies a wide range of neurological disorders, some of an autoimmune nature—multiple sclerosis probably being the most prominent. Current therapies are based on the use of immunomodulatory agents which are likely to promote myelin repair (remyelination) indirectly by subverting the inflammatory response, aspects of which impair the differentiation of OPCs. Cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage express and are capable of responding to a diverse array of ligand-receptor pairs, including neurotransmitters and nuclear receptors such as γ-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, adenosine triphosphate, serotonin, acetylcholine, nitric oxide, opioids, prostaglandins, prolactin, and cannabinoids. The intent of this review is to provide the reader with a synopsis of our present state of knowledge concerning the pharmacological properties of the oligodendrocyte lineage, with particular attention to these receptor-ligand (i.e., neurotransmitters and nuclear receptor) interactions that can influence oligodendrocyte migration, proliferation, differentiation, and myelination, and an appraisal of their therapeutic potential. For example, many promising mediators work through Ca2+ signaling, and the balance between Ca2+ influx and efflux can determine the temporal and spatial properties of oligodendrocytes (OLs). Moreover, Ca2+ signaling in OPCs can influence not only differentiation and myelination, but also process extension and migration, as well as cell death in mature mouse OLs. There is also evidence that oligodendroglia exhibit Ca2+ transients in response to electrical activity of axons for activity-dependent myelination. Cholinergic antagonists, as well as endocannabinoid-related lipid-signaling molecules target OLs. An understanding of such pharmacological pathways may thus lay the foundation to allow its leverage for therapeutic benefit in diseases of demyelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Marinelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Thomas Bertalot
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Morena Zusso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Stephen D Skaper
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Pietro Giusti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua Padua, Italy
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Pintzka CWS, Hansen TI, Evensmoen HR, Håberg AK. Marked effects of intracranial volume correction methods on sex differences in neuroanatomical structures: a HUNT MRI study. Front Neurosci 2015. [PMID: 26217172 PMCID: PMC4496575 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, there is no consensus whether sexual dimorphism in the size of neuroanatomical structures exists, or if such differences are caused by choice of intracranial volume (ICV) correction method. When investigating volume differences in neuroanatomical structures, corrections for variation in ICV are used. Commonly applied methods are the ICV-proportions, ICV-residuals and ICV as a covariate of no interest, ANCOVA. However, these different methods give contradictory results with regard to presence of sex differences. Our aims were to investigate presence of sexual dimorphism in 18 neuroanatomical volumes unrelated to ICV-differences by using a large ICV-matched subsample of 304 men and women from the HUNT-MRI general population study, and further to demonstrate in the entire sample of 966 healthy subjects, which of the ICV-correction methods gave results similar to the ICV-matched subsample. In addition, sex-specific subsamples were created to investigate whether differences were an effect of head size or sex. Most sex differences were related to volume scaling with ICV, independent of sex. Sex differences were detected in a few structures; amygdala, cerebellar cortex, and 3rd ventricle were larger in men, but the effect sizes were small. The residuals and ANCOVA methods were most effective at removing the effects of ICV. The proportions method suffered from systematic errors due to lack of proportionality between ICV and neuroanatomical volumes, leading to systematic mis-assignment of structures as either larger or smaller than their actual size. Adding additional sexual dimorphic covariates to the ANCOVA gave opposite results of those obtained in the ICV-matched subsample or with the residuals method. The findings in the current study explain some of the considerable variation in the literature on sexual dimorphisms in neuroanatomical volumes. In conclusion, sex plays a minor role for neuroanatomical volume differences; most differences are related to ICV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl W S Pintzka
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway ; Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's University Hospital Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tor I Hansen
- Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's University Hospital Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hallvard R Evensmoen
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway ; Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's University Hospital Trondheim, Norway
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway ; Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's University Hospital Trondheim, Norway
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Schaer M, Kochalka J, Padmanabhan A, Supekar K, Menon V. Sex differences in cortical volume and gyrification in autism. Mol Autism 2015; 6:42. [PMID: 26146534 PMCID: PMC4491212 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0035-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Male predominance is a prominent feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with a reported male to female ratio of 4:1. Because of the overwhelming focus on males, little is known about the neuroanatomical basis of sex differences in ASD. Investigations of sex differences with adequate sample sizes are critical for improving our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying ASD in females. Methods We leveraged the open-access autism brain imaging data exchange (ABIDE) dataset to obtain structural brain imaging data from 53 females with ASD, who were matched with equivalent samples of males with ASD, and their typically developing (TD) male and female peers. Brain images were processed with FreeSurfer to assess three key features of local cortical morphometry: volume, thickness, and gyrification. A whole-brain approach was used to identify significant effects of sex, diagnosis, and sex-by-diagnosis interaction, using a stringent threshold of p < 0.01 to control for false positives. Stability and power analyses were conducted to guide future research on sex differences in ASD. Results We detected a main effect of sex in the bilateral superior temporal cortex, driven by greater cortical volume in females compared to males in both the ASD and TD groups. Sex-by-diagnosis interaction was detected in the gyrification of the ventromedial/orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex (vmPFC/OFC). Post-hoc analyses revealed that sex-by-diagnosis interaction was driven by reduced vmPFC/OFC gyrification in males with ASD, compared to females with ASD as well as TD males and females. Finally, stability analyses demonstrated a dramatic drop in the likelihood of observing significant clusters as the sample size decreased, suggesting that previous studies have been largely underpowered. For instance, with a sample of 30 females with ASD (total n = 120), a significant sex-by-diagnosis interaction was only detected in 50 % of the simulated subsamples. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that some features of typical sex differences are preserved in the brain of individuals with ASD, while others are not. Sex differences in ASD are associated with cortical regions involved in language and social function, two domains of deficits in the disorder. Stability analyses provide novel quantitative insights into why smaller samples may have previously failed to detect sex differences. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13229-015-0035-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Schaer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - John Kochalka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Aarthi Padmanabhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA ; Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA ; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
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Roldan-Valadez E, Suarez-May MA, Favila R, Aguilar-Castañeda E, Rios C. Selected Gray Matter Volumes and Gender but Not Basal Ganglia nor Cerebellum Gyri Discriminate Left Versus Right Cerebral Hemispheres: Multivariate Analyses in human Brains at 3T. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2015; 298:1336-46. [PMID: 25902919 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 02/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Interest in the lateralization of the human brain is evident through a multidisciplinary number of scientific studies. Understanding volumetric brain asymmetries allows the distinction between normal development stages and behavior, as well as brain diseases. We aimed to evaluate volumetric asymmetries in order to select the best gyri able to classify right- versus left cerebral hemispheres. A cross-sectional study performed in 47 right-handed young-adults healthy volunteers. SPM-based software performed brain segmentation, automatic labeling and volumetric analyses for 54 regions involving the cerebral lobes, basal ganglia and cerebellum from each cerebral hemisphere. Multivariate discriminant analysis (DA) allowed the assembling of a predictive model. DA revealed one discriminant function that significantly differentiated left vs. right cerebral hemispheres: Wilks' λ = 0.008, χ(2) (9) = 238.837, P < 0.001. The model explained 99.20% of the variation in the grouping variable and depicted an overall predictive accuracy of 98.8%. With the influence of gender; the selected gyri able to discriminate between hemispheres were middle orbital frontal gyrus (g.), angular g., supramarginal g., middle cingulum g., inferior orbital frontal g., calcarine g., inferior parietal lobule and the pars triangularis inferior frontal g. Specific brain gyri are able to accurately classify left vs. right cerebral hemispheres by using a multivariate approach; the selected regions correspond to key brain areas involved in attention, internal thought, vision and language; our findings favored the concept that lateralization has been evolutionary favored by mental processes increasing cognitive efficiency and brain capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Roldan-Valadez
- MRI Unit, Division of Medial Imaging, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marcela A Suarez-May
- MRI Unit, Division of Medial Imaging, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rafael Favila
- GE Healthcare, Division of Healthcare, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Erika Aguilar-Castañeda
- Cognitive and Behavioral Unit, Department of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Camilo Rios
- Neurochemistry Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
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Sawada K, Horiuchi-Hirose M, Saito S, Aoki I. Sexual dimorphism of sulcal morphology of the ferret cerebrum revealed by MRI-based sulcal surface morphometry. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:55. [PMID: 25999821 PMCID: PMC4422084 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study quantitatively assessed sexual dimorphism of cortical convolution and sulcal morphology in young adult ferrets by MRI-based sulcal surface morphometry. Ex vivo T1-weighted (short TR/TE) MRI of the ferret cerebrum was acquired with high spatial resolution at 7-tesla. The degree of cortical convolution, evaluated quantitatively based on 3D MRI data by sulcation index (SI), was significantly greater in males (0.553 ± 0.036) than in females (0.502 ± 0.043) (p < 0.001). The rostrocaudal distribution of the cortical convolution revealed a greater convolution in the frontal region of the cortex in males than in females and by a posterior extension of the convolution in the temporo-parieto-occipital region of males. Although the cerebral width in the frontal region was not different between sexes, the rhinal fissure and rostral region of splenial sulcus were more infolded in males than in females. On the contrary, the cerebral width was greater in males in the temporo-parieto-occipital region, and male-prominent posterior extension of infolding was noted in the lateral sulcus, caudal suprasylvian sulcus, pesudosylvian sulcus, hippocampal sulcus, and the caudal region of splenial sulcus. Notably, the caudal descending region of lateral sulcus was clearly infolded in males, but obscured in females. The present results suggest a region-related sexual dimorphism of the sulcal infolding, which is reflected by local cortical expansion in the ferret cerebrum. In particular, male-favored sulcal infolding with expansion of the temporo-parieto-occipital neocortex may be relevant to the human cerebral cortex regarding visuo-spatial and emotion processing, which are known to differ between sexes. The present results will provide fundamental information assessing sex-related changes in the regional sulcal infolding, when ferrets with experimentally-induced gyrification abnormality will be used as models for male-prevalent or male-earlier-onset neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Sawada
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tsukuba International University Tsuchiura, Japan
| | - Miwa Horiuchi-Hirose
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tsukuba International University Tsuchiura, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Saito
- Division of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine Suita, Japan ; Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka University Suita, Japan
| | - Ichio Aoki
- Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences Chiba, Japan
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Ruigrok ANV, Salimi-Khorshidi G, Lai MC, Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV, Tait RJ, Suckling J. A meta-analysis of sex differences in human brain structure. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 39:34-50. [PMID: 24374381 PMCID: PMC3969295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 633] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
This is the first meta-analysis of sex differences in the typical human brain. Regional sex differences overlap with areas implicated in psychiatric conditions. The amygdala, hippocampus, planum temporale and insula display sex differences. On average, males have larger brain volumes than females. Most articles providing sex differences in volume are in the ‘mature’ category.
The prevalence, age of onset, and symptomatology of many neuropsychiatric conditions differ between males and females. To understand the causes and consequences of sex differences it is important to establish where they occur in the human brain. We report the first meta-analysis of typical sex differences on global brain volume, a descriptive account of the breakdown of studies of each compartmental volume by six age categories, and whole-brain voxel-wise meta-analyses on brain volume and density. Gaussian-process regression coordinate-based meta-analysis was used to examine sex differences in voxel-based regional volume and density. On average, males have larger total brain volumes than females. Examination of the breakdown of studies providing total volumes by age categories indicated a bias towards the 18–59 year-old category. Regional sex differences in volume and tissue density include the amygdala, hippocampus and insula, areas known to be implicated in sex-biased neuropsychiatric conditions. Together, these results suggest candidate regions for investigating the asymmetric effect that sex has on the developing brain, and for understanding sex-biased neurological and psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber N V Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom.
| | - Gholamreza Salimi-Khorshidi
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Jen-Ai Road Section 1, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Roger J Tait
- Brain Mapping Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SP, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom; Brain Mapping Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SP, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
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MRI-based morphometric characterizations of sexual dimorphism of the cerebrum of ferrets (Mustela putorius). Neuroimage 2013; 83:294-306. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Revised: 05/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Nováková L, Varella Valentová J, Havlíček J. Olfactory performance is predicted by individual sex-atypicality, but not sexual orientation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80234. [PMID: 24244657 PMCID: PMC3820642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many previous studies have reported robust sex differences in olfactory perception. However, both men and women can be expected to vary in the degree to which they exhibit olfactory performance considered typical of their own or the opposite sex. Sex-atypicality is often described in terms of childhood gender nonconformity, which, however, is not a perfect correlate of non-heterosexual orientation. Here we explored intrasexual variability in psychophysical olfactory performance in a sample of 156 individuals (83 non-heterosexual) and found the lowest odor identification scores in heterosexual men. However, when childhood gender nonconformity was entered in the model along with sexual orientation, better odor identification scores were exhibited by gender-nonconforming men, and greater olfactory sensitivity by gender-conforming women, irrespective of their sexual orientation. Thus, sex-atypicality, but not sexual orientation predicts olfactory performance, and we propose that this might not be limited to olfaction, but represent a more general phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Nováková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jaroslava Varella Valentová
- Centre for Theoretical Study, Charles University and the Academy of Sciences of the CzechRepublic, Prague, Czech Republic, United States of America
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, United States of America
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Shah DS, Prados J, Gamble J, De Lillo C, Gibson CL. Sex differences in spatial memory using serial and search tasks. Behav Brain Res 2013; 257:90-9. [PMID: 24076150 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study assessed the spatial abilities of male and female human participants using different versions of the non-navigational Corsi block-tapping test (CBT) and a search task. Males performed significantly better than females on the standard manual version of the CBT; however, the standard CBT does not allow discrimination between spatial memory span and the role of spatial organisational factors (structure, path length and presence of crossings) in the sequences to recall. These organisational factors were assessed, therefore, in an experiment in which 7-block-sequences had to be recalled in a computerised version of the CBT. No sex differences in performance were observed on the computerised CBT, indicating that males do not make better use of spatial organisational principles. Accordingly, sex differences observed in the manual CBT are likely to rely upon differences in memory span between males and females. In the search task, participants could locate a goal by reference to a Euclidian space (the geometry of a virtual enclose) or to proximal non-geometric cues. Both male and female participants showed a preference for the non-geometric cues, which overshadowed learning about the geometric cues when the two sets were available simultaneously during the training stage. These results indicate that sex differences do exist in those tests which are dependent on memory span. Sex differences were absent, however, in spatial organisational skills or in the usage of Euclidian and egocentric strategies to solve problems relying on spatial ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darshna S Shah
- School of Psychology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
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40
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Dekker S, Krabbendam L, Aben A, de Groot R, Jolles J. Coding task performance in early adolescence: a large-scale controlled study into boy-girl differences. Front Psychol 2013; 4:550. [PMID: 23986733 PMCID: PMC3753433 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined differences between boys and girls regarding efficiency of information processing in early adolescence. Three hundred and six healthy adolescents (50.3% boys) in grade 7 and 9 (aged 13 and 15, respectively) performed a coding task based on over-learned symbols. An age effect was revealed as subjects in grade 9 performed better than subjects in grade 7. Main effects for sex were found in the advantage of girls. The 25% best-performing students comprised twice as many girls as boys. The opposite pattern was found for the worst performing 25%. In addition, a main effect was found for educational track in favor of the highest track. No interaction effects were found. School grades did not explain additional variance in LDST performance. This indicates that cognitive performance is relatively independent from school performance. Student characteristics like age, sex, and education level were more important for efficiency of information processing than school performance. The findings imply that after age 13, efficiency of information processing is still developing and that girls outperform boys in this respect. The findings provide new information on the mechanisms underlying boy-girl differences in scholastic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Dekker
- Department of Educational Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Education, LEARN! Institute, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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41
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de Campos D, Ellwanger JH, do Nascimento PS, da Rosa HT, Saur L, Jotz GP, Xavier LL. Sexual Dimorphism in the Human Vocal Fold Innervation. J Voice 2013; 27:267-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2012.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Litwin T, Gromadzka G, Członkowska A, Gołębiowski M, Poniatowska R. The effect of gender on brain MRI pathology in Wilson's disease. Metab Brain Dis 2013; 28:69-75. [PMID: 23315358 PMCID: PMC3562549 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-013-9378-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Gender influence on the clinical manifestations of Wilson's Disease (WD) has been suggested; however, brain MRI pathology based on sexual dimorphism in WD has not yet been examined. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of gender on brain MRI pathology according to the predominant form of WD. We retrospectively analysed the brain MR images of 204 newly diagnosed and untreated WD patients. The predominant form of the disease was neuropsychiatric (n = 105), hepatic (n = 67) or presymptomatic (n = 32). Overall, neuroimaging pathologies were found in 64.2 % WD patients. The clinical form analysis revealed significant gender-related differences. In the neuropsychiatric form, men presented with cerebellar atrophy and cortical brain atrophy more often than women (25/58 vs. 11/47; p < 0.05) and (23/58 vs. 12/47; p = 0.09), respectively. In contrast, women tended to present with globus pallidus lesions more often than men (25/47 vs. 20/58; p = 0.054). There were no gender differences observed in the hepatic form, but cortical brain atrophy presented more often in men than women (3/12 vs. 0/20; p < 0.05) in the presymptomatic form. According to our findings, there is a gender-dependent brain vulnerability to copper toxicity. We speculate that these differences are potentially related to an oestrogen protective effect and are due to differences in gender-related clinical forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Litwin
- Second Department of Neurology, Institute Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego 9, Warsaw, Poland.
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43
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Abstract
Regional homogeneity measures synchrony of resting-state brain activity in neighboring voxels, or local connectivity. The effects of age and gender on local connectivity in healthy subjects are unknown. We performed regional homogeneity analyses on resting state BOLD time series data acquired from 58 normal, healthy participants, ranging in age from 11 to 35 (mean 18.1 ± 5.0 years, 32 males). Regional homogeneity was found to be highest for gray matter, with brain regions within the default mode network having the highest local connectivity values. There was a general decrease in regional homogeneity with age with the greatest reduction seen in the anterior cingulate and temporal lobe. Greater female local connectivity in the right hippocampus and amygdala was also noted, regardless of age. These findings suggest that local connectivity at the millimeter scale decreases during development as longer connections are formed, and underscores the importance of examining gender differences in imaging studies of healthy and clinical populations.
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Linking planning performance and gray matter density in mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: Moderating effects of age and sex. Neuroimage 2012; 63:1454-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Sex differences in parietal lobe structure and development. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 9:44-55. [PMID: 22333522 DOI: 10.1016/j.genm.2012.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Revised: 12/30/2011] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Structural magnetic resonance imaging studies provide evidence for sex differences in the human brain. Differences in surface area and the proportion of gray to white matter volume are observed, in particular in the parietal lobe. To our knowledge, no studies have examined sex differences in parietal lobe structure in younger populations or in the context of development. The present study evaluated sex differences in the structure of the parietal lobe in children aged 7 to 17 years. In addition, by adding a cohort of previously studied adults aged 18 to 50 years, sex differences in parietal lobe structure were examined across the age span of 7 to 50 years. Compared with the adult sample, the younger sample showed that the ratio of parietal lobe cortex to white matter was greater in female brains, but no sex differences in surface area. When examining the effects of age, surface area exhibited a significant sex-age interaction. In male brains, there was essentially no decrease in surfaces area over time, whereas in female brains, there was a significant decrease in surface area over time. These findings support the notion of structural sex differences in the parietal lobe, not only in the context of cross-sectional assessment but also in terms of differences in developmental trajectories.
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Lentini E, Kasahara M, Arver S, Savic I. Sex differences in the human brain and the impact of sex chromosomes and sex hormones. Cereb Cortex 2012; 23:2322-36. [PMID: 22891037 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While there has been increasing support for the existence of cerebral sex differences, the mechanisms underlying these differences are unclear. Based on animal data, it has long been believed that sexual differentiation of the brain is primarily linked to organizational effects of fetal testosterone. This view is, however, in question as more recent data show the presence of sex differences before the onset of testosterone production. The present study focuses on the impact that sex chromosomes might have on these differences. Utilizing the inherent differences in sex and X-chromosome dosage among XXY males, XY males, and XX females, comparative voxel-based morphometry was conducted using sex hormones and sex chromosomes as covariates. Sex differences in the cerebellar and precentral gray matter volumes (GMV) were found to be related to X-chromosome dosage, whereas sex differences in the amygdala, the parahippocamus, and the occipital cortex were linked to testosterone levels. An increased number of sex chromosomes was associated with reduced GMV in the amygdala, caudate, and the temporal and insular cortices, with increased parietal GMV and reduced frontotemporal white matter volume. No selective, testosterone independent, effect of the Y-chromosome was detected. Based on these observations, it was hypothesized that programming of the motor cortex and parts of cerebellum is mediated by processes linked to X-escapee genes, which do not have Y-chromosome homologs, and that programming of certain limbic structures involves testosterone and X-chromosome escapee genes with Y-homologs.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Lentini
- Department of Women and Child Health
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47
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Kunimatsu N, Aoki S, Kunimatsu A, Abe O, Yamada H, Masutani Y, Kasai K, Yamasue H, Ohtomo K. Tract-specific analysis of white matter integrity disruption in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2012; 201:136-43. [PMID: 22398298 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2011.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2010] [Revised: 06/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have suggested that white matter integrity is disrupted in some brain regions in patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to assess the white matter integrity of the cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, fornix, and corpus callosum using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Participants comprised 39 patients with schizophrenia (19 males and 20 females) and 40 age-matched normal controls (20 males and 20 females). We quantitatively assessed the fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the anterior cingulum, body of the cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, fornix, and corpus callosum on a tract-specific basis using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). Group differences in FA and ADC between the patients and normal controls were sought. Additional exploratory analyses of the relationship between the FA or ADC and four clinical parameters (i.e., illness duration, positive symptom scores, negative symptom scores, and medication dosage) were performed. Results were analyzed in gender-combined and gender-separated group comparisons. FA was significantly lower on both sides of the anterior cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, and fornix in the schizophrenia patients irrespective of gender group separation. In the gender-combined analyses, significantly higher ADC values were demonstrated in the schizophrenia patients in both sides of the anterior cingulum, body of the cingulum and uncinate fasciculus, the left fornix, and the corpus callosum, compared with those of the normal controls. In the gender-separated analyses, the male patients showed higher ADC in the left anterior cingulum, the bilateral cingulum bodies, and the bilateral uncinate fasciculi. The female patients showed higher ADC in the right anterior cingulum, the left fornix, and the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. In correlation analyses, a significant negative correlation was found between illness duration and ADC in the right anterior cingulum in the gender-combined analyses. The gender-separated analyses found that the male patients had a significant negative correlation between negative symptom scores and FA in the right fornix, a positive correlation between illness duration and FA in the right anterior cingulum, and a negative correlation between illness duration and FA in the left uncinate fasciculus. Our DTI study showed that the integrity of white matter is disrupted in patients with schizophrenia. The results of our sub-analyses suggest that changes in FA and ADC may be related to negative symptom scores or illness duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuko Kunimatsu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Toranomon Hospital, 2-2-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Vigil P, Orellana RF, Cortés ME, Molina CT, Switzer BE, Klaus H. Endocrine modulation of the adolescent brain: a review. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2011; 24:330-7. [PMID: 21514192 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2011.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neurophysiological and behavioral development is particularly complex in adolescence. Youngsters experience strong emotions and impulsivity, reduced self-control, and preference for actions which offer immediate rewards, among other behavioral patterns. Given the growing interest in endocrine effects on adolescent central nervous system development and their implications on later stages of life, this article reviews the effects of gonadal steroid hormones on the adolescent brain. These effects are classified as organizational, the capacity of steroids to determine nervous system structure during development, and activational, the ability of steroids to modify nervous activity to promote certain behaviors. During transition from puberty to adolescence, steroid hormones trigger various organizational phenomena related to structural brain circuit remodelling, determining adult behavioral response to steroids or sensory stimuli. These changes account for most male-female sexual dimorphism. In this stage sex steroids are involved in the main functional mechanisms responsible for organizational changes, namely myelination, neural pruning, apoptosis, and dendritic spine remodelling, activated only during embryonic development and during the transition from puberty to adolescence. This stage becomes a critical organizational window when the appropriately and timely exerted functions of steroid hormones and their interaction with some neurotransmitters on adolescent brain development are fundamental. Thus, understanding the phenomena linking steroid hormones and adolescent brain organization is crucial in the study of teenage behavior and in later assessment and treatment of anxiety, mood disorders, and depression. Adolescent behavior clearly evidences a stage of brain development influenced for the most part by steroid hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Vigil
- Unidad de Reproducción y Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Santiago, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile.
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49
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Mendrek A, Stip E. Sexual dimorphism in schizophrenia: is there a need for gender-based protocols? Expert Rev Neurother 2011; 11:951-9. [PMID: 21721913 DOI: 10.1586/ern.11.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gender differences have been reported in various aspects of schizophrenia, including its epidemiology, clinical course and the response to antipsychotic medications. Over the past few years the authors have been investigating sex differences in brain function in individuals with schizophrenia and have found an intriguing disturbance of normal sexual dimorphism during emotional and cognitive processing. These results can be partly accounted for by altered levels of sex steroid hormones (i.e., estrogen and testosterone) in patients. A handful of clinical research groups have tried low doses of estrogen, testosterone or their precursors as adjunct therapies to the currently available antipsychotic medications in women and men with schizophrenia. The results have been promising, but further investigation is warranted. In the future, new more specific steroidal compounds will be developed and we will see more studies examining sex differences in the brain, behavior and mental health problems. This research will help to identify individuals who may benefit greatest from adjunct hormonal therapies and will further our understanding of the etiology of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Mendrek
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal (QC), H1N 3V2, Canada.
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Kitamura S, Morikawa M, Kiuchi K, Taoka T, Fukusumi M, Kichikawa K, Kishimoto T. Asymmetry, sex differences and age-related changes in the white matter in the healthy elderly: a tract-based study. BMC Res Notes 2011; 4:378. [PMID: 21970546 PMCID: PMC3205060 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hemispherical asymmetry, sex differences and age-related changes have been reported for the human brain. Meanwhile it was still unclear the presence of the asymmetry or sex differences in the human brain occurred whether as a normal development or as consequences of any pathological changes. The aim of this study was to investigate hemispherical asymmetry, sex differences and age-related changes by using a tract-based analysis in the nerve bundles. Methods 40 healthy elderly subjects underwent magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging, and we calculated fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values along the major white matter bundles. Results We identified hemispherical asymmetry in the ADC values for the cingulate fasciculus in the total subject set and in males, and a sex difference in the FA values for the right uncinate fasciculus. For age-related changes, we demonstrated a significant increase in ADC values with advancing age in the right cingulum, left temporal white matter, and a significant decrease in FA values in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. Conclusion In this study, we found hemispherical asymmetry, sex differences and age-related changes in particular regions of the white matter in the healthy elderly. Our results suggest considering these differences can be important in imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soichiro Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
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