Review: magnetic resonance imaging of male/female differences in human adolescent brain anatomy

Sex differences in distributed error-related neural activation in problem-drinking young adults

BACKGROUND

Detecting and responding to errors is central to goal-directed behavior and cognitive control and is thought to be supported by a network of structures that includes the anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. Sex differences in the maturational timing of cognitive control systems create differential periods of vulnerability for psychiatric conditions, such as substance use disorders.

METHODS

We examined sex differences in error-related activation across an array of distributed brain regions during a Go/No-Go task in young adults with problem alcohol use (N=69; 34 females; M=19.4 years). Regions of interest previously linked to error-related activation, including anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and frontoparietal structures, were selected in a term-based meta-analysis. Individual differences in their responses to false alarm (FA) inhibitory errors relative to "go" trials (FA>GO) and correct rejections (FA>CR) were indexed using multivariate summary measures derived from principal components analysis.

RESULTS

FA>GO and FA>CR activation both revealed a first component that explained the majority of the variance across error-associated regions and displayed the strongest loadings on salience network structures. Compared to females, males exhibited significantly higher levels of the FA>GO component but not the FA>CR component.

CONCLUSIONS

Males exhibit greater salience network activation in response to inhibitory errors, which could be attributed to sex differences in error-monitoring processes or to other functions (e.g., novelty detection). The findings are relevant for the further characterization of sex differences in cognitive control and may have implications for understanding individual differences in those at risk for substance use or other cognitive control disorders.

Association between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of dementia in individuals with hypertension: a prospective cohort study

Many studies have shown that drinking coffee and tea may be associated with the risk of hypertension and dementia. Limited research exists on their impact on dementia risk in hypertensive patients. This study aimed to determine the association between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of dementia development in hypertensive population by utilizing Cox proportional risk modeling with 453,913 participants from a UK biobank. Our findings reveal a J-shaped and U-shaped association between the risk of all-cause dementia and the consumption of coffee and tea respectively in hypertensive people. The hypertensive patients who drink 0.5-1 cup of coffee or 4-5 cups of tea per day have the lowest risk of dementia. A U-shaped relationship was observed between daily caffeine consumption and the risk of developing all-cause dementia and vascular dementia in the hypertensive population. Furthermore, the significant association between the amount of coffee and tea consumed and the risk of all-cause and vascular dementia were more likely to be found in hypertensive patients than in the non-hypertensive population.

Sex of an Observer Effects on Adults' Motor, Cognitive, and Affective Dart-Shooting Performance

Men and women are characterized by specific physiological, cerebral and emotional characteristics, as well as by the differing nature of their gestures and behaviors. Here, we examined the effects of an observer's sex on motor, cognitive and affective behaviors during dart-shooting. We compared men and women's kinematic and affective parameters when perfoming alone or when performing in the presence of an observer of a different sex. We found a sex effect on motor and cognitive performance in interaction with participants' emotional states. We observed improved accuracy and reaction time in men compared to women, which we attributed to (a) differences in emotional sensitivities between the two sexes and (b) men's superiority on precision tasks linked to men's higher proportion of cerebral white matter. Our findings also suggested a sex difference in the social effect of an observer's sex on motor and cognitive performance. Although there was no effect on affective aspects of performance, emotional state seemed to interact strongly with this social effect.

Neurological Disorders Induced by Drug Use: Effects of Adolescent and Embryonic Drug Exposure on Behavioral Neurodevelopment

Clinical studies demonstrate that the risk of developing neurological disorders is increased by overconsumption of the commonly used drugs, alcohol, nicotine and cannabis. These drug-induced neurological disorders, which include substance use disorder (SUD) and its co-occurring emotional conditions such as anxiety and depression, are observed not only in adults but also with drug use during adolescence and after prenatal exposure to these drugs, and they are accompanied by long-lasting disturbances in brain development. This report provides overviews of clinical and preclinical studies, which confirm these adverse effects in adolescents and the offspring prenatally exposed to the drugs and include a more in-depth description of specific neuronal systems, their neurocircuitry and molecular mechanisms, affected by drug exposure and of specific techniques used to determine if these effects in the brain are causally related to the behavioral disturbances. With analysis of further studies, this review then addresses four specific questions that are important for fully understanding the impact that drug use in young individuals can have on future pregnancies and their offspring. Evidence demonstrates that the adverse effects on their brain and behavior can occur: (1) at low doses with short periods of drug exposure during pregnancy; (2) after pre-conception drug use by both females and males; (3) in subsequent generations following the initial drug exposure; and (4) in a sex-dependent manner, with drug use producing a greater risk in females than males of developing SUDs with emotional conditions and female offspring after prenatal drug exposure responding more adversely than male offspring. With the recent rise in drug use by adolescents and pregnant women that has occurred in association with the legalization of cannabis and increased availability of vaping tools, these conclusions from the clinical and preclinical literature are particularly alarming and underscore the urgent need to educate young women and men about the possible harmful effects of early drug use and to seek novel therapeutic strategies that might help to limit drug use in young individuals.

Prenatal and childhood air pollution exposure, cellular immune biomarkers, and brain connectivity in early adolescents

Introduction

Ambient air pollution is a neurotoxicant with hypothesized immune-related mechanisms. Adolescent brain structural and functional connectivity may be especially vulnerable to ambient pollution due to the refinement of large-scale brain networks during this period, which vary by sex and have important implications for cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. In the current study we explored associations between air pollutants, immune markers, and structural and functional connectivity in early adolescence by leveraging cross-sectional sex-stratified data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ Study®.

Methods

Pollutant concentrations of fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone were assigned to each child's primary residential address during the prenatal period and childhood (9-10 years-old) using an ensemble-based modeling approach. Data collected at 11-13 years-old included resting-state functional connectivity of the default mode, frontoparietal, and salience networks and limbic regions of interest, intracellular directional and isotropic diffusion of available white matter tracts, and markers of cellular immune activation. Using partial least squares correlation, a multivariate data-driven method that identifies important variables within latent dimensions, we investigated associations between 1) pollutants and structural and functional connectivity, 2) pollutants and immune markers, and 3) immune markers and structural and functional connectivity, in each sex separately.

Results

Air pollution exposure was related to white matter intracellular directional and isotropic diffusion at ages 11-13 years, but the direction of associations varied by sex. There were no associations between pollutants and resting-state functional connectivity at ages 11-13 years. Childhood exposure to nitrogen dioxide was negatively correlated with white blood cell count in males. Immune biomarkers were positively correlated with white matter intracellular directional diffusion in females and both white matter intracellular directional and isotropic diffusion in males. Lastly, there was a reliable negative correlation between lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and default mode network resting-state functional connectivity in females, as well as a compromised immune marker profile associated with lower resting-state functional connectivity between the salience network and the left hippocampus in males. In post-hoc exploratory analyses, we found that the PLSC-identified white matter tracts and resting-state networks related to processing speed and cognitive control performance from the NIH Toolbox.

Conclusions

We identified novel links between childhood nitrogen dioxide and cellular immune activation in males, and brain network connectivity and immune markers in both sexes. Future research should explore the potentially mediating role of immune activity in how pollutants affect neurological outcomes as well as the potential consequences of immune-related patterns of brain connectivity in service of improved brain health for all.

Morphological characteristics of cerebellum, pons and thalamus in Reccurent isolated sleep paralysis - A pilot study

Introduction

Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP) is a rapid eye movement sleep (REM) parasomnia, characterized by the loss of voluntary movements upon sleep onset and/or awakening with preserved consciousness. Evidence suggests microstructural changes of sleep in RISP, although the mechanism of this difference has not been clarified yet. Our research aims to identify potential morphological changes in the brain that can reflect these regulations.

Materials and methods

We recruited 10 participants with RISP (8 women; mean age 24.7 years; SD 2.4) and 10 healthy control subjects (w/o RISP; 3 women; mean age 26.3 years; SD 3.7). They underwent video-polysomnography (vPSG) and sleep macrostructure was analyzed. After that participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. We focused on 2-dimensional measurements of cerebellum, pons and thalamus. Statistical analysis was done in SPSS program. After analysis for normality we performed Mann-Whitney U test to compare our data.

Results

We did not find any statistically significant difference in sleep macrostructure between patients with and w/o RISP. No evidence of other sleep disturbances was found. 2-dimensional MRI measurements revealed statistically significant increase in cerebellar vermis height (p = 0.044) and antero-posterior diameter of midbrain-pons junction (p = 0.018) in RISP compared to w/o RISP.

Discussion

Our results suggest increase in size of cerebellum and midbrain-pons junction in RISP. This enlargement could be a sign of an over-compensatory mechanism to otherwise dysfunctional regulatory pathways. Further research should be done to measure these differences in time and with closer respect to the frequency of RISP episodes.

Sex differences in the relationship between depression and Alzheimer's disease-mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic opportunities

Depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders with intriguing epidemiological overlaps. Their interrelation has recently garnered widespread attention. Empirical evidence indicates that depressive disorders significantly contribute to AD risk, and approximately a quarter of AD patients have comorbid major depressive disorder, which underscores the bidirectional link between AD and depression. A growing body of evidence substantiates pervasive sex differences in both AD and depression: both conditions exhibit a higher incidence among women than among men. However, the available literature on this topic is somewhat fragmented, with no comprehensive review that delineates sex disparities in the depression-AD correlation. In this review, we bridge these gaps by summarizing recent progress in understanding sex-based differences in mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic prospects for depression and AD. Additionally, we outline key challenges in the field, holding potential for improving treatment precision and efficacy tailored to male and female patients' distinct needs.

Breaking Barriers: Unveiling Sex-Related Differences in Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis-A Narrative Review

(1) Background: The recent emphasis on sexual and gender diversity's impact on human health underscores the need for tailored diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in neurology. The aim of this article is to conduct a narrative review of the available scientific literature on sex differences in cerebrospinal fluid analysis. (2) Methods: The literature search encompassed PubMed databases, focusing on cerebrospinal fluid analysis and sex differences, considering parameters like cerebrospinal fluid protein content, cell count, albumin quotient (QAlb) and intrathecal IgG synthesis. (3) Results: Nine articles from the past two decades were identified, revealing limited research in this area. Males consistently exhibited higher cerebrospinal fluid protein content and albumin quotient values across various pathologies and age groups. Consequently, males more frequently manifested blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier dysfunction than females. No significant sex differences were observed in cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte count or intrathecal IgG synthesis. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the dearth of research on sex differences in cerebrospinal fluid analysis, despite consistent findings of higher protein content and albumin quotient values in males. Revisiting current diagnostic thresholds based on sex is crucial for accurate prognosis and personalised treatment strategies in neurological disorders. Moving towards sex-specific approaches in clinical practice is imperative for advancing personalised medicine.

The impact of suppressing puberty on neuropsychological function: A review

AIM

Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of medications that interrupt puberty, given the magnitude and complexity of changes that occur in brain function and structure during this sensitive window of neurodevelopment. This review examines the literature on the impact of pubertal suppression on cognitive and behavioural function in animals and humans.

METHODS

All studies reporting cognitive impacts of treatment with GnRH agonists/antagonists for pubertal suppression in animals or humans were sought via a systematic search strategy across the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO databases.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies were identified. In mammals, the neuropsychological impacts of puberty blockers are complex and often sex specific (n = 11 studies). There is no evidence that cognitive effects are fully reversible following discontinuation of treatment. No human studies have systematically explored the impact of these treatments on neuropsychological function with an adequate baseline and follow-up. There is some evidence of a detrimental impact of pubertal suppression on IQ in children.

CONCLUSION

Critical questions remain unanswered regarding the nature, extent and permanence of any arrested development of cognitive function associated with puberty blockers. The impact of puberal suppression on measures of neuropsychological function is an urgent research priority.

Sex differences in fetal brain functional network topology

The fetal period is a critical stage in brain development, and understanding the characteristics of the fetal brain is crucial. Although some studies have explored aspects of fetal brain functional networks, few have specifically focused on sex differences in brain network characteristics. We adopted the graph theory method to calculate brain network functional connectivity and topology properties (including global and nodal properties), and further compared the differences in these parameters between male and female fetuses. We found that male fetuses showed an increased clustering coefficient and local efficiency than female fetuses, but no significant group differences concerning other graph parameters and the functional connectivity matrix. Our study suggests the existence of sex-related distinctions in the topological properties of the brain network at the fetal stage of development and demonstrates an increase in brain network separation in male fetuses compared with female fetuses.

Exploring sex differences: insights into gene expression, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and pathology

Increased knowledge about sex differences is important for development of individualized treatments against many diseases as well as understanding behavioral and pathological differences. This review summarizes sex chromosome effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and hormones in relation to the brain. We explore neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and brain pathology aiming to explain the current state of the art. While some domains exhibit strong differences, others reveal subtle differences whose overall significance warrants clarification. We hope that the current review increases awareness and serves as a basis for the planning of future studies that consider both sexes equally regarding similarities and differences.

CBLL1 is hypomethylated and correlates with cortical thickness in transgender men before gender affirming hormone treatment

Gender identity refers to the consciousness of being a man, a woman or other condition. Although it is generally congruent with the sex assigned at birth, for some people it is not. If the incongruity is distressing, it is defined as gender dysphoria (GD). Here, we measured whole-genome DNA methylation by the Illumina © Infinium Human Methylation 850k array and reported its correlation with cortical thickness (CTh) in 22 transgender men (TM) experiencing GD versus 25 cisgender men (CM) and 28 cisgender women (CW). With respect to the methylation analysis, TM vs. CW showed significant differences in 35 CpGs, while 2155 CpGs were found when TM vs. CM were compared. With respect to correlation analysis, TM showed differences in methylation of CBLL1 and DLG1 genes that correlated with global and left hemisphere CTh. Both genes were hypomethylated in TM compared to the cisgender groups. Early onset TM showed a positive correlation between CBLL1 and several cortical regions in the frontal (left caudal middle frontal), temporal (right inferior temporal, left fusiform) and parietal cortices (left supramarginal and right paracentral). This is the first study relating CBLL1 methylation with CTh in transgender persons and supports a neurodevelopmental hypothesis of gender identity.

Sex-related differences in upper limb motor function in healthy subjects and multiple sclerosis patients: a multiparametric MRI study

BACKGROUND

We investigated sex-related differences in upper limb motor performance tested with the 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) in healthy controls (HC) and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their MRI substrates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled 94 HC and 133 MS patients, who underwent neurological examination, 9HPT and brain 3T MRI, with sequences for regional grey matter volume (GMV), white matter (WM) fractional anisotropy (FA) and resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Associations between MRI variables and 9HPT performance were analyzed with general linear models.

RESULTS

9HPT performance was better in HC vs MS patients, and in female vs male HC. Regional GMV analysis showed: associations between better 9HPT performance and higher GMV in motor and cognitive cortical areas in HC, with stronger positive correlations in females vs males. In MS, worse 9HPT performance correlated with lower volume in motor and cognitive areas. Sex-related differences were minimal and mostly found in cerebellar areas. WM FA analysis disclosed neither associations with 9HPT performance in HC, nor sex-related differences in MS. RS FC analysis showed: in the sensorimotor network, stronger associations of RS FC with 9HPT performance in female vs male HC and no sex-related differences in MS; in the cerebellar network, no sex-related differences in HC but stronger negative correlation in left cerebellum in male vs female MS patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex influences 9HPT performance in HC, mainly through differences in volume and RS FC of motor and cognitive areas. Sex-related effects on motor performance become secondary but still present in MS.

Emotional and behavioral problems change the development of cerebellar gray matter volume, thickness, and surface area from childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal cohort study

AIMS

Increasing evidence indicates that major neurodevelopmental disorders have potential links to abnormal cerebellar development. However, the developmental trajectories of cerebellar subregions from childhood to adolescence are lacking, and it is not clear how emotional and behavioral problems affect them. We aim to map the developmental trajectories of gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and surface area (SA) in cerebellar subregions from childhood to adolescence and examine how emotional and behavioral problems change the cerebellar development trajectory in a longitudinal cohort study.

METHOD

This population-based longitudinal cohort study used data on a representative sample of 695 children. Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed at baseline and at three annual follow-ups with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

RESULTS

Using an innovative automated image segmentation technique, we quantified the GMV, CT, and SA of the whole cerebellum and 24 subdivisions (lobules I-VI, VIIB, VIIIA&B, and IX-X plus crus I-II) with 1319 MRI scans from a large longitudinal sample of 695 subjects aged 6-15 years and mapped their developmental trajectories. We also examined sex differences and found that boys showed more linear growth, while girls showed more nonlinear growth. Boys and girls showed nonlinear growth in the cerebellar subregions; however, girls reached the peak earlier than boys. Further analysis found that emotional and behavioral problems modulated cerebellar development. Specifically, emotional symptoms impede the expansion of the SA of the cerebellar cortex, and no gender differences; conduct problems lead to inadequate cerebellar GMV development only in girls, but not boys; hyperactivity/inattention delays the development of cerebellar GMV and SA, with left cerebellar GMV, right VIIIA GMV and SA in boys and left V GMV and SA in girls; peer problems disrupt CT growth and SA expansion, resulting in delayed GMV development, with bilateral IV, right X CT in boys and right Crus I GMV, left V SA in girls; and prosocial behavior problems impede the expansion of the SA and lead to excessive CT growth, with bilateral IV, V, right VI CT, left cerebellum SA in boys and right Crus I GMV in girls.

CONCLUSIONS

This study maps the developmental trajectories of GMV, CT, and SA in cerebellar subregions from childhood to adolescence. In addition, we provide the first evidence for how emotional and behavioral problems affect the dynamic development of GMV, CT, and SA in the cerebellum, which provides an important basis and guidance for the prevention and intervention of cognitive and emotional behavioral problems in the future.

Impact of stress on excitatory and inhibitory markers of adolescent cognitive critical period plasticity

Adolescence is a time of significant neurocognitive development. Prolonged maturation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) through adolescence has been found to support improvements in executive function. Changes in excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms of critical period plasticity have been found to be present in the PFC through adolescence, suggesting that environment may have a greater effect on development during this time. Stress is one factor known to affect neurodevelopment increasing risk for psychopathology. However, less is known about how stress experienced during adolescence could affect adolescent-specific critical period plasticity mechanisms and cognitive outcomes. In this review, we synthesize findings from human and animal literatures looking at the experience of stress during adolescence on cognition and frontal excitatory and inhibitory neural activity. Studies indicate enhancing effects of acute stress on cognition and excitation within specific contexts, while chronic stress generally dampens excitatory and inhibitory processes and impairs cognition. We propose a model of how stress could affect frontal critical period plasticity, thus potentially altering neurodevelopmental trajectories that could lead to risk for psychopathology.

Brain-based Sex Differences in Depression: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric illness with a wide range of symptoms such as mood decline, loss of interest, and feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Women develop depression more often than men, and the diagnostic criteria for depression mainly rely on female patients' symptoms. By contrast, male depression usually manifests as anger attacks, aggression, substance use, and risk-taking behaviors. Various studies have focused on the neuroimaging findings in psychiatric disorders for a better understanding of their underlying mechanisms. With this review, we aimed to summarize the existing literature on the neuroimaging findings in depression, separated by male and female subjects. A search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of depression. After screening the search results, 15 MRI, 12 fMRI, and 4 DTI studies were included. Sex differences were mainly reflected in the following regions: 1) total brain, hippocampus, amygdala, habenula, anterior cingulate cortex, and corpus callosum volumes, 2) frontal and temporal gyri functions, along with functions of the caudate nucleus and prefrontal cortex, and 3) frontal fasciculi and frontal projections of corpus callosum microstructural alterations. Our review faces limitations such as small sample sizes and heterogeneity in populations and modalities. But in conclusion, it reflects the possible roles of sex-based hormonal and social factors in the depression pathophysiology.

[Media's Stranglehold on Storm and Stress - The Sorrows of Generation Z about Sex and Gender]

Media's Stranglehold on Storm and Stress - The Sorrows of Generation Z about Sex and Gender Abstract: The feeling of not belonging to one's birth sex is not new; one can trace this phenomenon back even to ancient mythology. Although it has always been rare, there has recently been a sharp increase in gender identity deviations among adolescents. This text addresses this problem by asking to what extent this development also results from upheavals in the cultural landscape and, above all, in media technology. Do they cause young people to believe they are in the "wrong gender" and, in extreme cases, to strive for transition? We present the most salient cornerstones of the planned German self-determination law (Self-ID), most of which, however, are unlikely to do justice to the underlying problem. The text concludes by describing several unanswered questions concerning this matter and by attempting to propose first answers. The advantages of a gender-exploratory over the trans affirmative therapy approach are summarized.

Why do we need sex-balanced studies of autism?

Males are diagnosed with autism much more frequently than females, and most research study samples reflect this male predominance. The result is that autistic females are understudied. There is a critical need to increase our understanding of autistic females, both biologically and clinically. The only way to do this is to recruit sex-balanced cohorts in studies so that similarities and differences between males and females can be evaluated in all autism research studies. The purpose of this commentary is to (1) provide historical context about how females came to be under-represented in all research, not just in the field of autism and (2) learn from other areas of health and medicine about the potentially dire consequences of not studying both sexes, and (3) draw attention to the need to recruit sex-balanced cohorts in autism research, particularly in neuroimaging studies.

Sex/gender differences in cognitive abilities

Sex/gender differences in cognitive sciences are riddled by conflicting perspectives. At the center of debates are clinical, social, and political perspectives. Front and center, evolutionary and biological perspectives have often focused on 'nature' arguments, while feminist and constructivist views have often focused on 'nurture arguments regarding cognitive sex differences. In the current narrative review, we provide a comprehensive overview regarding the origins and historical advancement of these debates while providing a summary of the results in the field of sexually polymorphic cognition. In so doing, we attempt to highlight the importance of using transdisciplinary perspectives which help bridge disciplines together to provide a refined understanding the specific factors that drive sex differences a gender diversity in cognitive abilities. To summarize, biological sex (e.g., birth-assigned sex, sex hormones), socio-cultural gender (gender identity, gender roles), and sexual orientation each uniquely shape the cognitive abilities reviewed. To date, however, few studies integrate these sex and gender factors together to better understand individual differences in cognitive functioning. This has potential benefits if a broader understanding of sex and gender factors are systematically measured when researching and treating numerous conditions where cognition is altered.

Association between housework and the risk of dementia among older Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity (PA) is known to improve physical functioning and mental health and to reduce the incidence of dementia. However, studies of the effects of non-recreational PA on the incidence of dementia, especially in East Asian populations, remain limited. In this study, we evaluate the association of doing housework with the risk of dementia among participants in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS).

METHODS

The analysis was conducted with data from 7,237 CLHLS participants age over 65 obtained in 2008/2009, 2011/2012, 2014, and 2018. The frequency of housework performance was classified into four groups. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to examine the association of the baseline housework frequency with the incidence of dementia, with adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and lifestyle and health conditions.

RESULTS

The adjusted multivariate model showed that the incidence of dementia was lower among participants who did housework almost every day than among those who rarely or never did housework (hazard ratio = 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.61). The subgroup and sensitivity analyses yielded similar results.

CONCLUSION

A high frequency of housework performance was associated with a reduced incidence of dementia among older Chinese adults, especially those who did not exercise regularly. The encouragement of engagement in housework would be a cost-effective measure promoting healthy aging in the Chinese population.

Spatial normalization discrepancies between native and MNI152 brain template scans in gamma ventral capsulotomy patients

In neurosurgery, spatial normalization emerged as a tool to minimize inter-subject variability and study target point locations based on standard coordinates. The Montreal Neurological Institute's 152 brain template (MNI152) has become the most widely utilized in neuroimaging studies, but has been noted to introduce partial volume effects, distortions, and increase structure size in all directions (x/y/z axes). These discrepancies question the accuracy of the MNI template, as well as its utility for studies that examine and form conclusions from group-level data. Given that surgical precision in obsessive-compulsive disorder is essential to patient outcomes, we retrospectively investigated lesion size and location in patients (n = 21) who underwent capsulotomy for intractable OCD, comparing deviations in the native scans to those in standard space. MNI measurements were significantly larger than native measurements across several structures in both coronal and axial slices, and we found that MNI transformation increases the size of many subcortical structures in a significant and proportional way for both females and males. These findings urge caution when using MNI as a reference space, as well as a stronger consideration of population-specific brain templates when examining connectivity-based networks.

Applications of advanced diffusion MRI in early brain development: a comprehensive review

Brain development follows a protracted developmental timeline with foundational processes of neurodevelopment occurring from the third trimester of gestation into the first decade of life. Defining structural maturational patterns of early brain development is a critical step in detecting divergent developmental trajectories associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders that arise later in life. While considerable advancements have already been made in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) for pediatric research over the past three decades, the field of neurodevelopment is still in its infancy with remarkable scientific and clinical potential. This comprehensive review evaluates the application, findings, and limitations of advanced dMRI methods beyond diffusion tensor imaging, including diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) to quantify the rapid and dynamic changes supporting the underlying microstructural architectural foundations of the brain in early life.

Neurocognitive Correlates of Cerebellar Volumetric Alterations in Youth with Pediatric Bipolar Spectrum Disorders and Bipolar Offspring

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence points towards the involvement of the cerebellum in the processing of emotions and pathophysiology of mood disorders. However, cerebellar and related cognitive alterations in youth with pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) and those at high risk to develop the disorder, such as bipolar offspring (BD-OFF) are not clearly defined.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate cerebellar gray and white matter volumes, cognition, and their relationship in youth with PBD and BD-OFF.

METHODS

Thirty youth (7 to 17 years, inclusive) with PBD, 30 BD-OFF and 40 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Study participants underwent a computer-based cognitive battery assessing affective processing, executive function, attention, psychomotor speed, and learning. Three-tesla MRI scan was performed to assess cerebellar white and gray matter volumes. Cerebellar segmentation was performed with FreeSurfer. Statistical analyses include between-group differences in cognitive domains, cerebellar gray, and white matter volumes. Relationships between cerebellar volumes and cognitive domains were examined.

RESULTS

Youth with PBD showed greater cerebellar gray matter volumes than both BD-OFF and HC, whereas no differences were present between BD-OFF and HC. Both youth with PBD and BD-OFF showed altered processing of negative emotions and a bias towards positive emotions. In youth with PBD and BD-OFF, greater impairment in the processing of emotions correlated with greater cerebellar gray matter volumes.

CONCLUSION

The present findings corroborate hypotheses on cerebellar involvement in the processing of emotions and the pathophysiology of PBD. The presence of cerebellar dysfunction in BD-OFF is unclear.

Diffusion tensor imaging reveals sex differences in pain sensitivity of rats

Studies on differences in brain structure and function according to sex are reported to contribute to differences in behavior and cognition. However, few studies have investigated brain structures or used tractography to investigate gender differences in pain sensitivity. The identification of tracts involved in sex-based structural differences that show pain sensitivity has remained elusive to date. Here, we attempted to demonstrate the sex differences in pain sensitivity and to clarify its relationship with brain structural connectivity. In this study, pain behavior test and brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed in male and female rats and tractography was performed on the whole brain using fiber tracking software. We selected eight brain regions related to pain and performed a tractography analysis of these regions. Fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements using automated tractography revealed sex differences in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-, prefrontal cortex (PFC)-, and ventral posterior thalamus-related brain connections. In addition, the results of the correlation analysis of pain sensitivity and DTI tractography showed differences in mean, axial, and radial diffusivities, as well as FA. This study revealed the potential of DTI for exploring circuits involved in pain sensitivity. The behavioral and functional relevance's of measures derived from DTI tractography is demonstrated by their relationship with pain sensitivity.

Association between multimorbidity status and incident dementia: a prospective cohort study of 245,483 participants

Multimorbidity (the presence of two or more long-term conditions [LTCs]) was suggested to exacerbate the neuronal injuries. The impact of multimorbidity on dementia has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to investigate the association between multimorbidity and dementia risk. We used the prospective data from 245,483 UK Biobank participants during a 9-year follow-up. Multimorbidity status was evaluated based on the LTC counts and multimorbidity patterns. Cox regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to examine the associations of multimorbidity status with all-cause dementia (ACD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Participants with multimorbidity at baseline had higher risks of ACD and VD, and the risks were elevated with the increase of LTC counts (ACD: hazard ratios [HR] = 1.15, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.01-1.31 with 2 LTCs; HR = 1.18, CI = 1.01-1.39 with 3 LTCs; HR = 1.65, CI = 1.44-1.88 with ≥4 LTCs; VD: HR = 1. 66, CI = 1.24-2.21 with 2 LTCs; HR = 2.10, CI = 1.53-2.88 with 3 LTCs; HR = 3.17, CI = 2.43-4.13 with ≥4 LTCs). Participants with ≥4 LTCs also had a higher risk of AD (HR = 1.34, CI = 1.08-1.66]. Participants with the cardio-cerebrovascular/respiratory/metabolic/musculoskeletal/depressive multimorbidity were 1.46, 1.28, and 2.50 times more likely to develop ACD (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.28-1.67), AD (HR = 1.28, CI = 1.04-1.58), and VD (HR = 2.50, CI = 1.90-3.27), respectively. Those with tumor/genitourinary/digestive disorders had a 11% higher hazard of ACD (HR = 1.11, CI = 1.00-1.24) and a 73% elevated risk of VD (HR = 1.73, CI = 1.37-2.18). The prevention of LTC accumulation and the identification of specific multimorbidity patterns might be beneficial to the prevention of dementia and its subtypes, AD as well as VD.

EPELI: a novel virtual reality task for the assessment of goal-directed behavior in real-life contexts

A recently developed virtual reality task, EPELI (Executive Performance in Everyday LIving), quantifies goal-directed behavior in naturalistic conditions. Participants navigate a virtual apartment, performing household chores given by a virtual character. EPELI aims to tap attention, executive function, and prospective memory. To ensure its applicability to further research and clinical work and to study its relationship to relevant background factors, we examined several key properties of EPELI in 77 typically developing 9–13-year-old children. These included EPELI’s internal consistency, age and gender differences, sensitivity to gaming experience, head-mounted display (HMD) type, and verbal recall ability, as well as its relationships with parent-rated everyday executive problems. Of the eight EPELI measures, the following six showed acceptable internal consistency: task and navigation efficacy, number of correctly performed tasks and overall actions, time monitoring, and controller movement. Some measures were associated with age, gender, or verbal encoding ability. Moreover, EPELI performance was associated with parent-rated everyday executive problems. There were no significant associations of gaming background, task familiarity, or HMD type with the EPELI measures. These results attest to the reliability and ecological validity of this new virtual reality tool for the assessment of attention, executive functions, and prospective memory in children.

Mapping brain mechanical property maturation from childhood to adulthood

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a phase contrast MRI technique which uses external palpation to create maps of brain mechanical properties noninvasively and in vivo. These mechanical properties are sensitive to tissue microstructure and reflect tissue integrity. MRE has been used extensively to study aging and neurodegeneration, and to assess individual cognitive differences in adults, but little is known about mechanical properties of the pediatric brain. Here we use high-resolution MRE imaging in participants of ages ranging from childhood to adulthood to understand brain mechanical properties across brain maturation. We find that brain mechanical properties differ considerably between childhood and adulthood, and that neuroanatomical subregions have differing maturational trajectories. Overall, we observe lower brain stiffness and greater brain damping ratio with increasing age from 5 to 35 years. Gray and white matter change differently during maturation, with larger changes occurring in gray matter for both stiffness and damping ratio. We also found that subregions of cortical and subcortical gray matter change differently, with the caudate and thalamus changing the most with age in both stiffness and damping ratio, while cortical subregions have different relationships with age, even between neighboring regions. Understanding how brain mechanical properties mature using high-resolution MRE will allow for a deeper understanding of the neural substrates supporting brain function at this age and can inform future studies of atypical maturation.

Demographic reporting across a decade of neuroimaging: a systematic review

Diversity of participants in biomedical research with respect to race, ethnicity, and biological sex is crucial, particularly given differences in disease prevalence, recovery, and survival rates between demographic groups. The objective of this systematic review was to report on the demographics of neuroimaging studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The Web of Science database was used and data collection was performed between June 2021 to November 2021; all articles were reviewed independently by at least two researchers. Articles utilizing MR data acquired in the United States, with n ≥ 10 human subjects, and published between 2010–2020 were included. Non-primary research articles and those published in journals that did not meet a quality control check were excluded. Of the 408 studies meeting inclusion criteria, approximately 77% report sex, 10% report race, and 4% report ethnicity. Demographic reporting also varied as function of disease studied, participant age range, funding, and publisher. We anticipate quantitative data on the extent, or lack, of reporting will be necessary to ensure inclusion of diverse populations in biomedical research.

Associations of residential greenness, ambient air pollution, biological sex, and glucocorticoids levels in rural China

AIMS

To evaluate the associations between residential greenness and glucocorticoid levels and whether air pollutants and sex modify the relationship between greenness and glucocorticoid level in Chinese rural adults.

METHODS

We collected cross-sectional survey data from 6055 participants from the Henan Rural cohort. The three-year average residential greenness for participants was assessed using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values from a satellite platform. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was employed to quantify the concentrations of glucocorticoids, which were measured by morning blood draw after at least 8 hr of fasting. A random forest model was employed to obtain the average concentrations of PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀. A general linear regression model was performed to estimate the associations of NDVI_500-m values with cortisol, 11-deoxycortisol, and cortisone. Furthermore, interaction plots were used to present the interaction effects of particulate matter, sex, and green space on glucocorticoid levels.

RESULTS

After adjusting for multiple variables, an elevated average NDVI_500-m value in the total population was associated with a decrease in cortisol levels (β = -0.063, 95 % confidence interval (CI): - 0.118, - 0.008), and 11-deoxycortisol levels (β = -0.118, 95 % CI: -0.190, -0.047), as well as an increase in cortisone levels (β = 0.130, 95 % CI: 0.079, 0.181). By adding the interaction terms of air pollutants and residential greenness into the regression model, interaction effects between air pollutants and residential greenness were found (cortisol, PM_2.5: P interaction=:0.018; PM₁₀: P interaction=0.016; 11-deoxycortisol, all pollutants: P interaction< 0.001), suggesting that the protective effect of residential greenness on serum glucocorticoids disappeared accompanying with increased concentrations of particulate matter. Moreover, trends towards modification in the association between green space and glucocorticoid levels were also evident by sex, but these did not reach statistical significance (for all glucocorticoids: P interaction> 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Long-term exposure to green space was negatively correlated with cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol levels, and positively correlated with cortisone levels. There may be sex differences in these associations. Moreover, the protective effect of residential greenness on serum glucocorticoids was altered by high levels of particulate matter.

Cognitive deficits, clinical variables, and white matter microstructure in schizophrenia: a multisite harmonization study

Cognitive deficits are among the best predictors of real-world functioning in schizophrenia. However, our understanding of how cognitive deficits relate to neuropathology and clinical presentation over the disease lifespan is limited. Here, we combine multi-site, harmonized cognitive, imaging, demographic, and clinical data from over 900 individuals to characterize a) cognitive deficits across the schizophrenia lifespan and b) the association between cognitive deficits, clinical presentation, and white matter (WM) microstructure. Multimodal harmonization was accomplished using T-scores for cognitive data, previously reported standardization methods for demographic and clinical data, and an established harmonization method for imaging data. We applied t-tests and correlation analysis to describe cognitive deficits in individuals with schizophrenia. We then calculated whole-brain WM fractional anisotropy (FA) and utilized regression-mediation analyses to model the association between diagnosis, FA, and cognitive deficits. We observed pronounced cognitive deficits in individuals with schizophrenia (p < 0.006), associated with more positive symptoms and medication dosage. Regression-mediation analyses showed that WM microstructure mediated the association between schizophrenia and language/processing speed/working memory/non-verbal memory. In addition, processing speed mediated the influence of diagnosis and WM microstructure on the other cognitive domains. Our study highlights the critical role of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. We further show that WM is crucial when trying to understand the role of cognitive deficits, given that it explains the association between schizophrenia and cognitive deficits (directly and via processing speed).

Gray-Matter Morphometry of Internalizing-Symptom Dimensions During Adolescence

Understanding the neuroanatomical correlates of internalizing psychopathology during adolescence may shed light on to neurodevelopmental processes that make this a critical period for the trajectory of mental illness. However, few studies have simultaneously examined co-occurring and dissociable features of internalizing psychopathology during this formative developmental stage. In the current study we identify the neuroanatomical correlates of four dimensions of internalizing psychopathology symptoms in adolescents: a common internalizing dimension capturing covariance in symptoms across internalizing disorders, as well as low positive affect-, anxious arousal-, and anxious apprehension-specific residuals. Our results suggest that these dimensions are associated with neuroanatomy across much of the brain, including prefrontal and limbic regions implicated in case-control studies, but also regions supporting visual processing. Importantly, results differed between males and females in regions that are sexually dimorphic in adulthood and the direction of the effects were largely opposite to what has been observed in adults and children.

Cytoarchitecture, intersubject variability, and 3D mapping of four new areas of the human anterior prefrontal cortex

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a key role in cognitive control and executive functions, including working memory, attention, value encoding, decision making, monitoring, and controlling behavioral strategies. However, the relationships between this variety of functions and the underlying cortical areas, which specifically contribute to these functions, are not yet well-understood. Existing microstructural maps differ in the number, localization, and extent of areas of the DLPFC. Moreover, there is a considerable intersubject variability both in the sulcal pattern and in the microstructure of this region, which impedes comparison with functional neuroimaging studies. The aim of this study was to provide microstructural, cytoarchitectonic maps of the human anterior DLPFC in 3D space. Therefore, we analyzed 10 human post-mortem brains and mapped their borders using a well-established approach based on statistical image analysis. Four new areas (i.e., SFS1, SFS2, MFG1, and MFG2) were identified in serial, cell-body stained brain sections that occupy the anterior superior frontal sulcus and middle frontal gyrus, i.e., a region corresponding to parts of Brodmann areas 9 and 46. Differences between areas in cytoarchitecture were captured using gray level index profiles, reflecting changes in the volume fraction of cell bodies from the surface of the brain to the cortex-white matter border. A hierarchical cluster analysis of these profiles indicated that areas of the anterior DLPFC displayed higher cytoarchitectonic similarity between each other than to areas of the neighboring frontal pole (areas Fp1 and Fp2), Broca's region (areas 44 and 45) of the ventral prefrontal cortex, and posterior DLPFC areas (8d1, 8d2, 8v1, and 8v2). Area-specific, cytoarchitectonic differences were found between the brains of males and females. The individual areas were 3D-reconstructed, and probability maps were created in the MNI Colin27 and ICBM152casym reference spaces to take the variability of areas in stereotaxic space into account. The new maps contribute to Julich-Brain and are publicly available as a resource for studying neuroimaging data, helping to clarify the functional and organizational principles of the human prefrontal cortex.

Developmental patterning of irritability enhances prediction of psychopathology in preadolescence: Improving RDoC with developmental science

The transdiagnostic importance of irritability in psychopathology has been demonstrated. However, the contribution of developmentally unfolding irritability patterns to specific clinical and neural outcomes remains an important and unanswered question. To address this gap in the literature, irritability patterns of 110 youth from a large, diverse cohort were assessed at preschool age and again at early school age (∼2.5 years later) with a dimensional irritability scale designed to capture the normal:abnormal spectrum. At preadolescence (∼6 years later), clinical outcomes (internalizing/externalizing symptoms) derived from a semistructured clinical interview and neural outcomes (characterized as gray-matter-volume abnormalities) were assessed. For clinical outcomes, preschool-age irritability alone was a transdiagnostic predictor of internalizing and externalizing symptoms at preadolescence. However, in a model including both preschool and early school age, irritability provided greater specificity, suggesting that higher irritability at early school age related to elevated preadolescent externalizing but not internalizing symptoms. In terms of neural outcomes, elevated preschool irritability did not predict preadolescent gray-matter-volume abnormality; however, irritability at early school age demonstrated an interactive effect among regions, with reduced volume in preadolescence emotional regions (e.g., amygdala, medial orbitofrontal cortex) and increased volume in other regions (e.g., cerebellum). These complex patterns highlight the contribution of a developmentally informed approach, the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, to yield transdiagnostic phenotypes and multiple units of analysis. Capturing these individual differences and developmental heterogeneity can provide critical insight into the unfolding of mechanisms underlying emerging psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Sex-specific associations in verbal memory brain circuitry in early psychosis

Hippocampal circuitry and related cortical connections are altered in first episode psychosis (FEP) and are associated with verbal memory deficits, as well as positive and negative symptoms. There are robust sex differences in the clinical presentation of psychosis, including poorer verbal memory in male patients. Consideration of sex differences in hippocampal-cortical circuitry and their associations with different behavioral dimensions may be useful for understanding the underlying pathophysiology of verbal memory deficits and related symptomatology in psychosis. Here, we use a data-driven approach to simultaneously capture the complex links between sex, verbal memory, symptoms, and cortical-hippocampal brain metrics in FEP. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral data were acquired from 100 FEP patients (75 males, 25 females) and 87 controls (55 males, 32 females). Multivariate brain-behavior associations were examined in FEP using partial least squares to map sociodemographic, verbal memory, and clinical data onto brain morphometry. The analysis identified two sex-dependent patterns of verbal memory, symptoms, and brain structure. In male patients, verbal memory deficits and core psychotic symptoms were associated with both increased and decreased frontal and temporal cortical thickness and reductions in CA2/3 hippocampal subfield and fornix volumes. In female patients, fewer negative/depressive symptoms were associated with a more attenuated cortical thickness pattern and more diffuse reductions in hippocampal white matter regions. Taken together, the results contribute towards better understanding the underlying pathophysiology of psychosis by highlighting the unique contribution of specific hippocampal subfields and surrounding white matter and their connections with broader cortical networks in a sex-dependent manner.

Effects of binge drinking during adolescence and emerging adulthood on the brain: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies

Binge drinking (BD) is a common pattern of alcohol consumption which is generating great concern because of its deleterious consequences. We selected 33 neuroimaging studies of healthy young binge drinkers (BDs) by following PRISMA guidelines. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between BD and neurocognitive anomalies reported across magnetic resonance studies. Moreover, this work is the first in which results of relatively new imaging techniques, such as resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), have been reviewed using a systematic procedure. We established strict inclusion criteria in order to isolate the various potential effects of BD on the adolescent brain. Two authors independently evaluated the methodological quality, assessing different aspects related to sample size, and statistical correction methods, which are of particular importance in neuroimaging studies. BD is associated with structural and functional anomalies in several cortical and subcortical brain regions intimately involved in the control and regulation of impulsive or risky behaviours, as well as in the processing of reinforcing stimuli.

Sex-Related Left-Lateralized Development of the Crus II Region of the Ansiform Lobule in Cynomolgus Monkeys

The asymmetric development of the cerebellum has been reported in several mammalian species. The current study quantitatively characterized cerebellar asymmetry and sexual dimorphism in cynomolgus macaques using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based volumetry. Three-dimensional T1W MR images at 7-tesla were acquired ex vivo from fixed adult male (n = 5) and female (n = 5) monkey brains. Five transverse domains of the cerebellar cortex, known as cerebellar compartmentation defined by the zebrin II/aldolase expression pattern, were segmented on MR images, and the left and right sides of their volumes were calculated. Asymmetry quotient (AQ) analysis revealed significant left-lateralization at the population level in the central zone posterior to the cerebellar transverse domains, which included lobule VII of the vermis with the crura I and II of ansiform lobules, in males but not females. Next, the volume of the cerebellar hemispherical lobules was calculated. Population-level leftward asymmetry was revealed in the crus II regions in males using AQ analysis. The AQ values of the other hemispherical lobules showed no left/right side differences at the population level in either sex. The present findings suggest a sexually dimorphic asymmetric aspect of the cerebellum in cynomolgus macaques, characterized by a leftward lateralization of the crus II region in males, but no left/right bias in females.

Tea consumption and risk of incident dementia: A prospective cohort study of 377 592 UK Biobank participants

As a widely consumed beverage, tea boasts diverse health benefits. Herein, we aimed to investigate the association between tea consumption and dementia risk. We conducted a prospective cohort study with 377 592 UK Biobank participants during a 9-year follow-up. Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, Townsend deprivation index, education, body mass index, lifestyle factors, dietary factors and apolipoprotein E4 status were used to examine the association of tea consumption with dementia risk. Subgroup analyses stratified by age, sex and forms of dementia (Alzheimer's disease [AD] and vascular dementia [VD]) were performed. Moreover, the restricted cubic splines were used to calculate the nonlinear relationship between daily dosage of tea and dementia risk. After adjustment for all covariates, tea drinkers were 16% (95% confidence interval: 8-23) less likely to develop dementia compared with non-drinkers. Moderate consumption (1-6 cups/day) of tea exerted significant protective effects. Subgroup analyses showed that mid-aged participants or males benefited more from tea consumption. Moreover, moderate drinkers had a 16-19% lower hazard of AD and a 25-29% lower hazard of VD. Furthermore, a U-shaped association between tea consumption and dementia risk was shown (P_{non-linearity} = 7E^-04), and the consumption of around three cups per day showed the strongest protective effect. Within 3 cups/day, drinking one extra cup of tea per day brought a 6% reduction of incidence. In conclusion, moderate consumption of tea was significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, suggesting that tea consumption could be a modifiable lifestyle factor for dementia.

Study of Sex Differences in Unmedicated Patients With Major Depressive Disorder by Using Resting State Brain Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Some important clinical characteristics of major depressive disorder (MDD) differ between sexes. We explored abnormal spontaneous neuronal activity in MDD patients using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and its relationship to clinical manifestations in male and female patients, to seek the neural mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in depression. Twenty-five male MDD patients, 36 female MDD patients, and 25 male and 36 female matched healthy controls (HC) were included. The ALFF difference was investigated among four groups, and partial correlation analysis was used to explore a possible clinical relevance. The main effect results of sex difference were located in the bilateral caudate nucleus and posterior cingulate gyrus. Post hoc comparisons found that the male MDD patients showed decreased ALFF in the bilateral caudate nucleus and posterior cingulate gyrus when compared with female MDD patients/female HCs, and female MDD patients showed increased ALFF in the bilateral caudate nucleus and posterior cingulate gyrus when compared with male HCs. The average ALFF of the right caudate nucleus was positively correlated with illness duration in female MDD patients. Our results suggest that the sex-specific abnormal brain activity might be a potential pathomechanism of different symptoms in male and female MDD patients.

Bipolar spectrum disorders are associated with increased gray matter volume in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

Objective

Elevated sensitivity to rewards prospectively predicts Bipolar Spectrum Disorder (BSD) onset; however, it is unclear whether volumetric abnormalities also reflect BSD risk. BSDs emerge when critical neurodevelopment in frontal and striatal regions occurs in sex-specific ways. The current paper examined the volume of frontal and striatal brain regions in both individuals with and at risk for a BSD with exploratory analyses examining sex-specificity.

Methods

One hundred fourteen medication-free individuals ages 18-27 at low-risk for BSD (moderate-reward sensitivity; N = 37), at high-risk without a BSD (high-reward sensitivity; N = 47), or with a BSD (N = 30) completed a structural MRI scan of the brain. We examined group differences in gray matter volume in a priori medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) regions-of-interest.

Results

The BSD group had enlarged frontostriatal volumes (mOFC, NAcc) compared to low individuals (d = 1.01). The mOFC volume in BSD was larger than low-risk (d = 1.01) and the high-risk groups (d = 0.74). This effect was driven by males with a BSD, who showed an enlarged mOFC compared to low (d = 1.01) and high-risk males (d = 0.74). Males with a BSD also showed a greater NAcc volume compared to males at low-risk (d = 0.49), but not high-risk males.

Conclusions

An enlarged frontostriatal volume (averaged mOFC, NAcc) is associated with the presence of a BSD, while subvolumes (mOFC vs. NAcc) showed unique patterning in relation to risk. We report preliminary evidence that sex moderates frontostriatal volume in BSD, highlighting the need for larger longitudinal risk studies examining the role of sex-specific neurodevelopmental trajectories in emerging BSDs.

Alternative female and male developmental trajectories in the dynamic balance of human visual perception

The numerous multistable phenomena in vision, hearing and touch attest that the inner workings of perception are prone to instability. We investigated a visual example-binocular rivalry-with an accurate no-report paradigm, and uncovered developmental and maturational lifespan trajectories that were specific for age and sex. To interpret these trajectories, we hypothesized that conflicting objectives of visual perception-such as stability of appearance, sensitivity to visual detail, and exploration of fundamental alternatives-change in relative importance over the lifespan. Computational modelling of our empirical results allowed us to estimate this putative development of stability, sensitivity, and exploration over the lifespan. Our results confirmed prior findings of developmental psychology and appear to quantify important aspects of neurocognitive phenotype. Additionally, we report atypical function of binocular rivalry in autism spectrum disorder and borderline personality disorder. Our computational approach offers new ways of quantifying neurocognitive phenotypes both in development and in dysfunction.

Low household income and neurodevelopment from infancy through adolescence

Despite advancements in the study of brain maturation at different developmental epochs, no work has linked the significant neural changes occurring just after birth to the subtler refinements in the brain occurring in childhood and adolescence. We aimed to provide a comprehensive picture regarding foundational neurodevelopment and examine systematic differences by family income. Using a nationally representative longitudinal sample of 486 infants, children, and adolescents (age 5 months to 20 years) from the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development and leveraging advances in statistical modeling, we mapped developmental trajectories for the four major cortical lobes and constructed charts that show the statistical distribution of gray matter and reveal the considerable variability in regional volumes and structural change, even among healthy, typically developing children. Further, the data reveal that significant structural differences in gray matter development for children living in or near poverty, first detected during childhood (age 2.5-6.5 years), evolve throughout adolescence.

Longitudinal characterization of neuroanatomical changes in the Fischer 344 rat brain during normal aging and between sexes

Animal models are widely used to study the pathophysiology of disease and to evaluate the efficacy of novel interventions, crucial steps towards improving disease outcomes in humans. The Fischer 344 (F344) wildtype rat is a common experimental background strain for transgenic models of disease and is one of the most frequently used models in aging research. Despite frequency of use, characterization of agerelated neuroanatomical change has not been performed in the F344 rat. To this end, we present a comprehensive longitudinal examination of morphometric change in 73 brain regions and at a voxel-wise level during normative aging in vivo in a mixed-sexcohort of F344 rats. We identified the greatest vulnerability to aging within the cortex, caudoputamen, hindbrain, and internal capsule, while the influence of sex was strongest in the caudoputamen, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus, many of which are implicated in memory and motor control circuits frequently affected by aging and neurodegenerative disease. These findings provide a baseline for neuroanatomical changes associated with aging in male and female F344 rats, to which data from transgenic models or other background strains can be compared.

Sex differences in bidirectional associations between conduct problems and cannabis use across two years of adolescence

BACKGROUND

There is a large body of research that has identified bidirectional associations between conduct problems and cannabis use. Despite growing knowledge regarding comorbidities between conduct problems and cannabis use, it remains unclear whether these findings generalize across both males and females. The current study examined sex differences in longitudinal associations between conduct problems and cannabis use in a predominantly Hispanic sample of adolescents followed over a two-year period.

METHODS

Participants were 401 adolescents (89.8% Hispanic, 46% female; M_age = 15.5) taking part in a two-year longitudinal investigation examining the associations between neurocognitive functioning and cannabis use. The sample consisted predominantly of youth selected for risk of cannabis escalation, with 90% reporting using cannabis, nicotine, or alcohol prior to baseline. Negative binomial cross-lagged regressions and simple slope difference tests were used for all analyses.

RESULTS

We found support for bidirectional associations between conduct problems and cannabis use, controlling for demographics, covariates, and baseline frequencies. Simple slope difference tests revealed that there was a significant, positive association between baseline cannabis use and subsequent conduct problems among females but not males. In contrast, the association between baseline conduct problems and subsequent frequency of cannabis use did not differ as a function of sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results underscore the importance of viewing cannabis use as a risk factor for maladjustment rather than solely as a consequence, particularly among female adolescents. Information gained from temporal sequencing of cannabis use and conduct problem symptoms can guide the selection of intervention programs for referred youth.

Better Screening Value of Sylvian Fissure Ratio on Cognitive Decline Among Female Compared to Male: An Observational Study in Elderly Patients With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Soochow

Background: Cognitive decline (CD) occurs frequently in elderly patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). In China, elderly patients are more likely to enter healthcare in community hospitals where no magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is available. This study aimed to explore the screening value of Sylvian fissure ratio (SFR) on CD and compare its gender difference from community-transferred patients.

Methods: We performed a single-center, observational study (collected between April 1, 2016, and March 1, 2019) to evaluate the association between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and SFR in 203 eligible community-transferred patients. Baseline characteristics of patients were collected during hospitalization. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to estimate the effect of variables on MoCA, and interactions between select variables were analyzed in different models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the discriminative effect of SFR to severe CD.

Results: We identified that a meaningful SFR cutoff of 0.05 had important screening value (likelihood ratio test, p = 0.067) on CD. The ratio had a lower screen value in males when compared to females (adjusted β, −5.54; 95% CI, −8.78 to −2.30 vs. adjusted β, −1.01; 95% CI, −2.84 to 0.82). The gender difference was further verified by ROC curve analysis, in which this discriminative effect was more potent in females (from 0.878 to 0.948) compared to males (from 0.838 to 0.837).

Conclusion: An SFR of 0.05 may be more useful to distinguish CD in female patients with CSVD than male patients in whom the syndrome is suspected clinically.

Texture analysis of dorsal striatum in functional neurological (conversion) disorder

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the dorsal striatum nuclei of patients diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder by texture analysis method from magnetic resonance imaging images and to compare them with healthy controls. Study groups consisted of 20 female patients and 20 healthy women. The brains of patients and controls were scanned for high-resolution images with a 1.5T scanner using the sagittal plane and 3D spiral fast spin echo sequence. Using the texture analysis method, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, median, variance, entropy, size %L, size %U, size %M, kurtosis, skewness and homogeneity values of the dorsal striatum nuclei were calculated from the images. The data were compared with comparison tests according to Kolmogorov-Smirnov test results. There was no statistically significant difference between paired regions in terms of texture analysis findings in the cross-sectional images of the participants. In patients, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, median, variance and entropy values for the putamen nucleus, and mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, median, variance, entropy and kurtosis values for the caudate nucleus were found significantly higher than controls. Additional receiver operating characteristic curve and logistic regression analyzes were performed. The implications of the results of the study are that there are significant microstructural changes in the dorsal striatum nuclei of patients and their reflection on brain images. Texture analysis is a useful technique to show tissue changes in the dorsal striatum of patients using images. It is highly recommended to use texture analysis to identify and evaluate potentially affected areas of the brain in new studies.

Purposeful Heading Performed by Female Youth Soccer Players Leads to Strain Development in Deep Brain Structures

Head impacts in soccer have been associated with both short- and long-term neurological consequences. Youth players' brains are especially vulnerable given that their brains are still developing, and females are at an increased risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to males. Approximately 90% of head impacts in soccer occur from purposeful heading. Accordingly, this study assessed the relationship between kinematic variables and brain strain during purposeful headers in female youth soccer players. A convenience sample of 36 youth female soccer players (13.4 [0.9] years of age) from three elite youth soccer teams wore wireless sensors to quantify head impact magnitudes during games. Purposeful heading events were categorized by game scenario (e.g., throw-in, goal kick) for 60 regular season games (20 games per team). A total of 434 purposeful headers were identified. Finite element model simulations were performed to calculate average peak maximum principal strain (APMPS) in the corpus callosum, thalamus, and brainstem on a subset of 110 representative head impacts. Rotational velocity was strongly associated with APMPS in these three regions of the brain (r = 0.83-0.87). Linear acceleration was weakly associated with APMPS (r = 0.13-0.31). Game scenario did not predict APMPS during soccer games (p > 0.05). Results demonstrated considerable APMPS in the corpus callosum (mean = 0.102) and thalamus (mean = 0.083). In addition, the results support the notion that rotational velocity is a better predictor of brain strain than linear acceleration and may be a potential indicator of changes to the brain.

Adolescent Gender and Age Differences in Religiously and Spiritually Motivated Types of Forgiveness and the Relationship to Depressive Symptoms

We examined three religiously/spiritually motivated forgiveness types, forgiveness of self, others, and divine forgiveness, and their association with depressive symptoms, across adolescent gender and age groups. Twelve- to 18-year-old patients arriving for primary care completed a 3-item Forgiveness measure and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Girls reported a higher tendency to forgive others compared to boys, and self-forgiveness and divine forgiveness tended to decline with age in both genders. We found no significant associations between forgiveness and depression among boys. Among girls, higher self-forgiveness was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Forgiveness of others was associated with less depression only among 17-18-year-old girls. Divine forgiveness showed no association with depression in either gender. Forgiveness of self and others appears to be protective factors for depression among adolescent girls.