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Cartier L, Guérin M, Saulnier F, Cotocea I, Mohammedi A, Moussaoui F, Kheloui S, Juster RP. Sex and gender correlates of sexually polymorphic cognition. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:3. [PMID: 38191503 PMCID: PMC10773055 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00579-8] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexually polymorphic cognition (SPC) results from the interaction between biological (birth-assigned sex (BAS), sex hormones) and socio-cultural (gender identity, gender roles, sexual orientation) factors. The literature remains quite mixed regarding the magnitude of the effects of these variables. This project used a battery of classic cognitive tests designed to assess the influence of sex hormones on cognitive performance. At the same time, we aimed to assess the inter-related and respective effects that BAS, sex hormones, and gender-related factors have on SPC. METHODS We recruited 222 adults who completed eight cognitive tasks that assessed a variety of cognitive domains during a 150-min session. Subgroups were separated based on gender identity and sexual orientation and recruited as follows: cisgender heterosexual men (n = 46), cisgender non-heterosexual men (n = 36), cisgender heterosexual women (n = 36), cisgender non-heterosexual women (n = 38), gender diverse (n = 66). Saliva samples were collected before, during, and after the test to assess testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone. Psychosocial variables were derived from self-report questionnaires. RESULTS Cognitive performance reflects sex and gender differences that are partially consistent with the literature. Interestingly, biological factors seem to better explain differences in male-typed cognitive tasks (i.e., spatial), while psychosocial factors seem to better explain differences in female-typed cognitive tasks (i.e., verbal). CONCLUSION Our results establish a better comprehension of SPC over and above the effects of BAS as a binary variable. We highlight the importance of treating sex as a biological factor and gender as a socio-cultural factor together since they collectively influence SPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Cartier
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mina Guérin
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fanny Saulnier
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ioana Cotocea
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada
| | - Amine Mohammedi
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fadila Moussaoui
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sarah Kheloui
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Research Center of the Montreal Mental Health University Institute, 7331, Rue Hochelaga, Montreal, QC, H1N 3V2, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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García-Escobar G, Pérez-Enríquez C, Arrondo-Elizarán C, Pereira-Cuitiño B, Grau-Guinea L, Florido-Santiago M, Piqué-Candini J, Manero RM, Puig-Pijoan A, Peña-Casanova J, Sánchez-Benavides G. Spanish normative studies (NEURONORMA-Plus project): norms for the Delis Kaplan-Design Fluency Test, Color Trails Test, and Dual Task. Neurologia 2021:S0213-4853(21)00113-4. [PMID: 34535347 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2021.05.013] [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: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Complex attention and non-verbal fluency tasks are used in neuropsychological assessments with the aim of exploring subdomains of executive function. The purpose of this study is to provide norms and age-, education-, and sex-adjusted data for the Delis Kaplan-Design Fluency Test (DK-DFT), Color Trails Test (CTT), and Dual Task (DT) as part of the NEURONORMA-Plus project. METHODS The sample included 308 cognitively healthy individuals aged between 18 and 92 years. Raw scores were converted to age-adjusted scaled scores. These were further converted into education- and sex-adjusted scaled scores by applying linear regression, with 2 age groups (< 50 and ≥ 50 years). RESULTS Overall, age had a negative impact on DK-DFT and CTT performance. We observed a positive effect of education on DK-DFT scores only in the older group (≥ 50 years). Moreover, younger men performed slightly better in the basic condition of this test. Education was positively associated with all CTT scores in both age groups, with the exception of the CTT-1 subtest in the younger group. Age and education did not influence DT performance, whereas sex did, with young women performing slightly better. CONCLUSIONS These normative data may be useful in the interpretation of neuropsychological assessments in the Spanish population.
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Affiliation(s)
- G García-Escobar
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Unidad de Deterioro Cognitivo y Trastornos del Movimiento, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España
| | - C Pérez-Enríquez
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Unidad de Epilepsia, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España
| | - C Arrondo-Elizarán
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Servicio de Neurología, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España
| | - B Pereira-Cuitiño
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España
| | - L Grau-Guinea
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España
| | - M Florido-Santiago
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Unidad de Salud Cerebral, Centro de Investigaciones Médico Sanitarias (CIMES), Málaga, España
| | - J Piqué-Candini
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España
| | - R M Manero
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Unidad de Deterioro Cognitivo y Trastornos del Movimiento, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España
| | - A Puig-Pijoan
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Unidad de Deterioro Cognitivo y Trastornos del Movimiento, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España
| | - J Peña-Casanova
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España.
| | - G Sánchez-Benavides
- Grupo de Neurofuncionalidad y Lenguaje, Programa de Neurociencias, Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), Barcelona, España; Barcelonabeta Brain Research Center, Barcelona, España.
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