1
|
Rogala J, Dreszer J, Sińczuk M, Miciuk Ł, Piątkowska-Janko E, Bogorodzki P, Wolak T, Wróbel A, Konarzewski M. Local variation in brain temperature explains gender-specificity of working memory performance. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1398034. [PMID: 39132677 PMCID: PMC11310161 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1398034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Exploring gender differences in cognitive abilities offers vital insights into human brain functioning. Methods Our study utilized advanced techniques like magnetic resonance thermometry, standard working memory n-back tasks, and functional MRI to investigate if gender-based variations in brain temperature correlate with distinct neuronal responses and working memory capabilities. Results We observed a significant decrease in average brain temperature in males during working memory tasks, a phenomenon not seen in females. Although changes in female brain temperature were significantly lower than in males, we found an inverse relationship between the absolute temperature change (ATC) and cognitive performance, alongside a correlation with blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal change induced by neural activity. This suggests that in females, ATC is a crucial determinant for the link between cognitive performance and BOLD responses, a linkage not evident in males. However, we also observed additional female specific BOLD responses aligned with comparable task performance to that of males. Discussion Our results suggest that females compensate for their brain's heightened temperature sensitivity by activating additional neuronal networks to support working memory. This study not only underscores the complexity of gender differences in cognitive processing but also opens new avenues for understanding how temperature fluctuations influence brain functionality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Rogala
- Centre for Research on Culture, Language, and Mind, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- The Centre for Systemic Risk Analysis, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Dreszer
- Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Marcin Sińczuk
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Miciuk
- Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Ewa Piątkowska-Janko
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Bogorodzki
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wolak
- Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Kajetany, Poland
| | - Andrzej Wróbel
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Philosophy, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Killanin AD, Ward TW, Embury CM, Calhoun VD, Wang Y, Stephen JM, Picci G, Heinrichs‐Graham E, Wilson TW. Effects of endogenous testosterone on oscillatory activity during verbal working memory in youth. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26774. [PMID: 38949599 PMCID: PMC11215982 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Testosterone levels sharply rise during the transition from childhood to adolescence and these changes are known to be associated with changes in human brain structure. During this same developmental window, there are also robust changes in the neural oscillatory dynamics serving verbal working memory processing. Surprisingly, whereas many studies have investigated the effects of chronological age on the neural oscillations supporting verbal working memory, none have probed the impact of endogenous testosterone levels during this developmental period. Using a sample of 89 youth aged 6-14 years-old, we collected salivary testosterone samples and recorded magnetoencephalography during a modified Sternberg verbal working memory task. Significant oscillatory responses were identified and imaged using a beamforming approach and the resulting maps were subjected to whole-brain ANCOVAs examining the effects of testosterone and sex, controlling for age, during verbal working memory encoding and maintenance. Our primary results indicated robust testosterone-related effects in theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha (8-14 Hz) oscillatory activity, controlling for age. During encoding, females exhibited weaker theta oscillations than males in right cerebellar cortices and stronger alpha oscillations in left temporal cortices. During maintenance, youth with greater testosterone exhibited weaker alpha oscillations in right parahippocampal and cerebellar cortices, as well as regions across the left-lateralized language network. These results extend the existing literature on the development of verbal working memory processing by showing region and sex-specific effects of testosterone, and are the first results to link endogenous testosterone levels to the neural oscillatory activity serving verbal working memory, above and beyond the effects of chronological age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abraham D. Killanin
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- College of MedicineUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Thomas W. Ward
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Christine M. Embury
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS)Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | | | - Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Elizabeth Heinrichs‐Graham
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain HealthBoys Town National Research HospitalNebraskaUSA
- College of MedicineUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Casto KV, Cohen DJ, Akinola M, Mehta PH. Testosterone, gender identity and gender-stereotyped personality attributes. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105540. [PMID: 38652981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Sex/gender differences in personality associated with gender stereotyped behavior are widely studied in psychology yet remain a subject of ongoing debate. Exposure to testosterone during developmental periods is considered to be a primary mediator of many sex/gender differences in behavior. Extensions of this research has led to both lay beliefs and initial research about individual differences in basal testosterone in adulthood relating to "masculine" personality. In this study, we explored the relationships between testosterone, gender identity, and gender stereotyped personality attributes in a sample of over 400 university students (65 % female assigned at birth). Participants provided ratings of their self-perceived masculinity and femininity, resulting in a continuous measure of gender identity, and a set of agentic and communal personality attributes. A saliva sample was also provided for assay of basal testosterone. Results showed no compelling evidence that basal testosterone correlates with gender-stereotyped personality attributes or explains the relationship between sex/gender identity and these attributes, across, within, or covarying out sex assigned at birth. Contributing to a more gender diverse approach to assessing sex/gender relationships with personality and testosterone, our continuous measure of self-perceived masculinity and femininity predicted additional variance in personality beyond binary sex and showed some preliminary but weak relationships with testosterone. Results from this study cast doubt on the activational testosterone-masculinity hypothesis for explaining sex differences in gender stereotyped traits and within-sex/gender variation in attributes associated with agency and communality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen V Casto
- Kent State University, Department of Psychological Sciences, United States of America.
| | - Dale J Cohen
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Modupe Akinola
- Columbia University, Columbia Business School, United States of America
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- University College London, Department of Experimental Psychology, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Baroi B, Himi SA. Psychometric properties of the Teenage Executive Functioning Inventory (TEXI): A confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance by gender in Bangladeshi adolescents. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38498931 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2024.2324983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The Teenage Executive Functioning Inventory (TEXI) is a newly developed, reliable, and valid measure to assess deficits in executive functioning. The present study aimed to adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Bangla version of the TEXI in a sample of Bangladeshi adolescents. The cross-sectional research on 360 Bangladeshi adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years was carried out. Initially, the 20-item TEXI was translated into Bangla and pretested. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test factor structure and measurement invariance across genders. The CFA identified a two-factor solution, including working memory and inhibition, thereby replicating the original model. Multi-group CFA further suggested configural, metric, scaler, and residual measurement invariance between genders in a Bangladeshi sample. The internal consistency reliability of the TEXI was adequate. Construct and criterion-related validity were confirmed by establishing substantial and statistically significant correlations between the two factors within the TEXI and the associations between academic performance and the overall TEXI score. The Bangla version of the TEXI is a valuable measurement tool for evaluating executive dysfunction among adolescents. This study opens the door to future research on adolescents' executive functioning deficits and their relationship with other real-life behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bijon Baroi
- Department of Psychology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Goddings AL, Dumontheil I, Viner RM, Blakemore SJ. Puberty and risky decision-making in male adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101230. [PMID: 36965437 PMCID: PMC10073643 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101230] [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: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pubertal development is a potential trigger for increases in risk-taking behaviours during adolescence. Here, we sought to investigate the relationship between puberty and neural activation during risky decision-making in males using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Forty-seven males aged 12.5-14.5 years completed an fMRI risk-taking task (BART) and reported their tendencies for risky decision-making using a self-report questionnaire. Puberty was assessed through self-reported pubertal status and salivary testosterone levels. Testosterone concentration, but not physical pubertal status, was positively correlated with self-reported risk-taking behaviour, while neither was correlated with BART performance. Across the whole sample, participants had greater activation of the bilateral nucleus accumbens and right caudate on trials when they made a successful risky decision compared to trials when they made a safe choice or when their risky decision was unsuccessful. There was a negative correlation between pubertal stage and brain activation during unsuccessful risky decision-making trials compared within unsuccessful control trials. Males at a lower stage of pubertal development showed increased activation in the left insula, right cingulate cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), right putamen and right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) relative to more pubertally mature males during trials when they chose to take a risk and the balloon popped compared to when they watched the computer make an unsuccessful risky decision. Less pubertally mature males also showed greater activation in brain regions including the dmPFC, right temporal and frontal cortices, right OFC, right hippocampus and occipital cortex in unsuccessful risky trials compared to successful risky trials. These results suggest a puberty-related shift in neural activation within key brain regions when processing outcomes of risky decisions, which may reduce their sensitivity to negative feedback, and in turn contribute to increases in adolescent risk-taking behaviours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A-L Goddings
- University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
| | - I Dumontheil
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - R M Viner
- University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - S-J Blakemore
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WCIN 3AR London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Habay J, Uylenbroeck R, Van Droogenbroeck R, De Wachter J, Proost M, Tassignon B, De Pauw K, Meeusen R, Pattyn N, Van Cutsem J, Roelands B. Interindividual Variability in Mental Fatigue-Related Impairments in Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review and Multiple Meta-regression. SPORTS MEDICINE - OPEN 2023; 9:14. [PMID: 36808018 PMCID: PMC9941412 DOI: 10.1186/s40798-023-00559-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The negative effect of mental fatigue (MF) on physical performance has recently been questioned. One reason behind this could lie in the interindividual differences in MF-susceptibility and the individual features influencing them. However, the range of individual differences in mental fatigue-susceptibility is not known, and there is no clear consensus on which individual features could be responsible for these differences. OBJECTIVE To give an overview of interindividual differences in the effects of MF on whole-body endurance performance, and individual features influencing this effect. METHODS The review was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42022293242). PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and PsycINFO were searched until the 16th of June 2022 for studies detailing the effect of MF on dynamic maximal whole-body endurance performance. Studies needed to include healthy participants, describe at least one individual feature in participant characteristics, and apply at least one manipulation check. The Cochrane crossover risk of bias tool was used to assess risk of bias. The meta-analysis and regression were conducted in R. RESULTS Twenty-eight studies were included, with 23 added to the meta-analysis. Overall risk of bias of the included studies was high, with only three presenting an unclear or low rating. The meta-analysis shows the effect of MF on endurance performance was on average slightly negative (g = - 0.32, [95% CI - 0.46; - 0.18], p < 0.001). The multiple meta-regression showed no significant influences of the included features (i.e. age, sex, body mass index and physical fitness level) on MF-susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS The present review confirmed the negative impact of MF on endurance performance. However, no individual features influencing MF-susceptibility were identified. This can partially be explained by the multiple methodological limitations such as underreporting of participant characteristics, lack of standardization across studies, and the restricted inclusion of potentially relevant variables. Future research should include a rigorous description of multiple different individual features (e.g., performance level, diet, etc.) to further elucidate MF mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Habay
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.16499.330000 0004 0645 1099Vital Signs and Performance Monitoring Research Unit, LIFE Department, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium ,grid.434261.60000 0000 8597 7208Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robin Uylenbroeck
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruben Van Droogenbroeck
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonas De Wachter
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthias Proost
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bruno Tassignon
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069BruBotics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kevin De Pauw
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069BruBotics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Romain Meeusen
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069BruBotics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Pattyn
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.16499.330000 0004 0645 1099Vital Signs and Performance Monitoring Research Unit, LIFE Department, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Van Cutsem
- grid.8767.e0000 0001 2290 8069Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.16499.330000 0004 0645 1099Vital Signs and Performance Monitoring Research Unit, LIFE Department, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bart Roelands
- Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. .,BruBotics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kim H, Park B, Kim SY, Kim J, Kim B, Jung KI, Lee SY, Hyun Y, Kim BN, Park S, Park MH. Cerebellar Gray Matter Volume and its Role in Executive Function, and Attention: Sex Differences by Age in Adolescents. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 20:621-634. [DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2022.20.4.621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hayeon Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bumhee Park
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
- Office of Biostatistics, Ajou Research Institute for Innovative Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, Korea
| | - Shin-Young Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jiyea Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bora Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyu-In Jung
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Yup Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yerin Hyun
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bung-Nyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Subin Park
- Department of Research Planning, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Korea
| | - Min-Hyeon Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Taddei M, Bulgheroni S, Riva D, Erbetta A. Task‐related functional neuroimaging contribution to sex/gender differences in cognition and emotion during development. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:575-603. [PMID: 36354127 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has shown that sex/gender (s/g) influences on cognitive functions and related brain anatomy, functional responses, and connectivity are less clear than previously assumed, and most studies investigated adult population. In this mini-review, we summarize research progress in the study of s/g differences in the human brain function as investigated by neuroimaging methods adopting a developmental perspective. In particular, we review original studies published from 2000 to 2021 investigating s/g differences in task-related brain functional activation and connectivity in healthy children and adolescents. We summarize results about studies in the domains of language, visuospatial ability, social cognition, and executive functions. Overall, a clear relation between cognition and brain activation or connectivity pattern is far from being established and the few coherent results should be considered exploratory, despite in some cases, brain function seems to present specific patterns in comparison with what reported in adults. Moreover, future studies should address methodological limitations, such as fragmentation of tasks, lack of control for confounding variables, and lack of longitudinal designs to study developmental trajectories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Taddei
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Sara Bulgheroni
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Daria Riva
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Alessandra Erbetta
- Department of Neuroradiology Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
Sex and gender differences are seen in cognitive disturbances in a variety of neurological and psychiatry diseases. Men are more likely to have cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia whereas women are more likely to have more severe cognitive symptoms with major depressive disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, it is important to understand sex and gender differences in underlying cognitive abilities with and without disease. Sex differences are noted in performance across various cognitive domains - with males typically outperforming females in spatial tasks and females typically outperforming males in verbal tasks. Furthermore, there are striking sex differences in brain networks that are activated during cognitive tasks and in learning strategies. Although rarely studied, there are also sex differences in the trajectory of cognitive aging. It is important to pay attention to these sex differences as they inform researchers of potential differences in resilience to age-related cognitive decline and underlying mechanisms for both healthy and pathological cognitive aging, depending on sex. We review literature on the progressive neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's disease, as an example of pathological cognitive aging in which human females show greater lifetime risk, neuropathology, and cognitive impairment, compared to human males. Not surprisingly, the relationships between sex and cognition, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer's disease are nuanced and multifaceted. As such, this chapter will end with a discussion of lifestyle factors, like education and diet, as modifiable factors that can alter cognitive aging by sex. Understanding how cognition changes across age and contributing factors, like sex differences, will be essential to improving care for older adults.
Collapse
|
10
|
The Effect of Mental Fatigue and Gender on Working Memory Performance during Repeated Practice by Young and Older Adults. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:6612805. [PMID: 34646318 PMCID: PMC8505107 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6612805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) is one of the most investigated cognitive functions albeit the extent to which individual characteristics impact on performance is still unclear, especially when older adults are involved. The present study considers repeated practice of a visual N-Back task with three difficulty levels (1-, 2-, and 3-Back) in healthy young and older individuals. Our results reveal that, for both age groups, the expected mental fatigue was countered by a learning effect, in terms of accuracies and reaction times, which turned out to benefit females more than males, for all three N-Back levels. We conclude that future WM studies, in particular when relying on repeated N-Back sessions, should account for learning effects in relation to mental fatigue and gender, in both young and older adults.
Collapse
|
11
|
Carmichael OT, Pillai SR, Murray K, Shankapal P, Caldwell J, Vartanian O, Berryman CE, Karl JP, Harris M, Rood JC, Pasiakos SM, Lieberman HR. Effects of testosterone administration on fMRI responses to executive function, aggressive behavior, and emotion processing tasks during severe exercise- and diet-induced energy deficit. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118496. [PMID: 34425226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical administration of testosterone is widely used due to a variety of claimed physical and cognitive benefits. Testosterone administration is associated with enhanced brain and cognitive function, as well as mood, in energy-balanced males, although such relationships are controversial. However, the effects of testosterone administration on the brains of energy-deficient males, whose testosterone concentrations are likely to be well below normal, have not been investigated. METHODS This study collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 50 non-obese young men before (PRE) and shortly after (POST) 28 days of severe exercise-and-diet-induced energy deficit during which testosterone (200 mg testosterone enanthate per week in sesame oil, TEST) or placebo (sesame seed oil only, PLA) were administered. Scans were also collected after a post-energy-deficit weight regain period (REC). Participants completed five fMRI tasks that assessed aspects of: 1) executive function (Attention Network Task or ANT; Multi-Source Interference Task or MSIT; AXE Continuous Processing Task or AXCPT); 2) aggressive behavior (Provoked Aggression Task or AGG); and 3) latent emotion processing (Emotional Face Processing or EMO). RESULTS Changes over time in task-related fMRI activation in a priori defined task-critical brain regions during performance of 2 out of 5 tasks were significantly different between TEST and PLA, with TEST showing greater levels of activation during ANT in the right anterior cingulate gyrus at POST and during MSIT in several brain regions at REC. Changes over time in objective task performance were not statistically significant; testosterone-treated volunteers had greater self-reported anger during AGG at POST. CONCLUSIONS Testosterone administration can alter some aspects of brain function during severe energy deficit and increase levels of anger.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kori Murray
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - John Caldwell
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA; Laulima Government Solutions, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Oshin Vartanian
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto Research Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Claire E Berryman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Belcamp, MD, USA; Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - J P Karl
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Melissa Harris
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Stefan M Pasiakos
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Harris R Lieberman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Castagna PJ, Crowley MJ. Relationship between Puberty and Inhibitory Control: Computational Modeling of the Drift-diffusion Process. Dev Neuropsychol 2021; 46:360-380. [PMID: 34283678 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2021.1952206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous work relies largely on the simple reaction time measures in inhibitory control tasks. The goal of the current study was to provide a better understanding the relationship between puberty, sex, and inhibitory control utilizing and contrasting two popular drift diffusion models. A sample of 103 adolescents (Mage = 14.49, SD = 1.69) self-reported their pubertal development and completed a flanker task. Utilizing Bayesian regressions, we found that the interaction between puberty and sex were significant predictors of the A/B parameter, conceptualized as the amount of information considered for a decision during the task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Castagna
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael J Crowley
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Laube C, van den Bos W, Fandakova Y. The relationship between pubertal hormones and brain plasticity: Implications for cognitive training in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100753. [PMID: 32072931 PMCID: PMC7005587 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence may mark a sensitive period for the development of higher-order cognition through enhanced plasticity of cortical circuits. At the same time, animal research indicates that pubertal hormones may represent one key mechanism for closing sensitive periods in the associative neocortex, thereby resulting in decreased plasticity of cortical circuits in adolescence. In the present review, we set out to solve some of the existing ambiguity and examine how hormonal changes associated with pubertal onset may modulate plasticity in higher-order cognition during adolescence. We build on existing age-comparative cognitive training studies to explore how the potential for change in neural resources and behavioral repertoire differs across age groups. We review animal and human brain imaging studies, which demonstrate a link between brain development, neurochemical mechanisms of plasticity, and pubertal hormones. Overall, the existent literature indicates that pubertal hormones play a pivotal role in regulating the mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity during adolescence. However, the extent to which hormonal changes associated with pubertal onset increase or decrease brain plasticity may depend on the specific cognitive domain, the sex, and associated brain networks. We discuss implications for future research and suggest that systematical longitudinal assessments of pubertal change together with cognitive training interventions may be a fruitful way toward a better understanding of adolescent plasticity. As the age of pubertal onset is decreasing across developed societies, this may also have important educational and clinical implications, especially with respect to the effects that earlier puberty has on learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Laube
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yana Fandakova
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Puberty and functional brain development in humans: Convergence in findings? Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 39:100690. [PMID: 31450015 PMCID: PMC6969369 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is a long history of studying the influence of pubertal hormones on brain function/structure in animals, this research in human adolescents is young but burgeoning. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of findings from neuroimaging studies investigating the relation between pubertal and functional brain development in humans. We quantified the findings from this literature in which statistics required for standard meta-analyses are often not provided (i.e., effect size in fMRI studies). To do so, we assessed convergence in findings within content domains (reward, facial emotion, social information, cognitive processing) in terms of the locus and directionality (i.e., positive/negative) of effects. Face processing is the only domain with convergence in the locus of effects in the amygdala. Social information processing is the only domain with convergence of positive effects; however, these effects are not consistently present in any brain region. There is no convergence of effects in either the reward or cognitive processing domains. This limited convergence in findings across domains is not the result of null findings or even due to the variety of experimental paradigms researchers employ. Instead, there are critical theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues that must be addressed in order to move the field forward.
Collapse
|
15
|
Jones SA, Nagel BJ. Altered frontostriatal white matter microstructure is associated with familial alcoholism and future binge drinking in adolescence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1076-1083. [PMID: 30636769 PMCID: PMC6461789 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0315-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of significant neurobiological development, including changes in white matter microstructure. Familial alcoholism and adolescent binge-drinking have both been associated with altered white matter microstructure; however, the temporal nature of these effects, and their interaction, is unclear. Using diffusion-weighted imaging and voxel-wise multilevel modeling, the effects of familial alcoholism and future binge-drinking on white matter microstructural development were assessed in 45 adolescents, who went on to binge-drink (but were alcohol-naive at baseline), and 68 adolescents, who remained largely alcohol-naive, all with varying degrees of familial alcoholism. Both future binge-drinking and familial alcoholism were associated with altered frontostriatal white matter microstructure early in adolescence, prior to alcohol use. While several binge-drinking-related effects persisted throughout adolescence (in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, superior corona radiata, and cerebellar peduncles), the association between familial alcoholism and altered white matter microstructure dissipated across adolescence in all regions. There were no white matter regions identified where future binge-drinking or familial alcoholism were significantly associated with emergent or exacerbated alterations in white matter microstructure. Altogether, these findings suggest that alterations in frontostiatal white matter microstructure, some of which are associated with familial alcoholism, may be used to predict which adolescents are more likely to go on and engage in alcohol use. Meanwhile, a reduction in family history-related associations with altered white matter microstructure by late-adolescence is encouraging for future prevention work targeted at at-risk youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Effects of age, sex, and puberty on neural efficiency of cognitive and motor control in adolescents. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 14:1089-1107. [PMID: 30903550 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Critical changes in adolescence involve brain cognitive maturation of inhibitory control processes that are essential for a myriad of adult functions. Cognitive control advances into adulthood as there is more flexible integration of component processes, including inhibitory control of conflicting information, overwriting inappropriate response tendencies, and amplifying relevant responses for accurate execution. Using a modified Stroop task with fMRI, we investigated the effects of age, sex, and puberty on brain functional correlates of cognitive and motor control in 87 boys and 91 girls across the adolescent age range. Results revealed dissociable brain systems for cognitive and motor control processes, whereby adolescents flexibly adapted neural responses to control demands. Specifically, when response repetitions facilitated planning-based action selection, frontoparietal-insular regions associated with cognitive control operations were less activated, whereas cortical-pallidal-cerebellar motor regions associated with motor skill acquisition, were more activated. Attenuated middle cingulate cortex activation occurred with older adolescent age for both motor control and cognitive control with automaticity from repetition learning. Sexual dimorphism for control operations occurred in extrastriate cortices involved in visuo-attentional selection: While boys enhanced extrastriate selection processes for motor control, girls activated these regions more for cognitive control. These sex differences were attenuated with more advanced pubertal stage. Together, our findings show that brain cognitive and motor control processes are segregated, demand-specific, more efficient in older adolescents, and differ between sexes relative to pubertal development. Our findings advance our understanding of how distributed brain activity and the neurodevelopment of automaticity enhances cognitive and motor control ability in adolescence.
Collapse
|
17
|
Ernst M, Benson B, Artiges E, Gorka AX, Lemaitre H, Lago T, Miranda R, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Bromberg U, Brühl R, Büchel C, Cattrell A, Conrod P, Desrivières S, Fadai T, Flor H, Grigis A, Gallinat J, Garavan H, Gowland P, Grimmer Y, Heinz A, Kappel V, Nees F, Papadopoulos-Orfanos D, Penttilä J, Poustka L, Smolka MN, Stringaris A, Struve M, van Noort BM, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Grillon C, Martinot MLP, Martinot JL. Pubertal maturation and sex effects on the default-mode network connectivity implicated in mood dysregulation. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:103. [PMID: 30804326 PMCID: PMC6389927 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examines the effects of puberty and sex on the intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of brain networks, with a focus on the default-mode network (DMN). Consistently implicated in depressive disorders, the DMN's function may interact with puberty and sex in the development of these disorders, whose onsets peak in adolescence, and which show strong sex disproportionality (females > males). The main question concerns how the DMN evolves with puberty as a function of sex. These effects are expected to involve within- and between-network iFC, particularly, the salience and the central-executive networks, consistent with the Triple-Network Model. Resting-state scans of an adolescent community sample (n = 304, male/female: 157/147; mean/std age: 14.6/0.41 years), from the IMAGEN database, were analyzed using the AFNI software suite and a data reduction strategy for the effects of puberty and sex. Three midline regions (medial prefrontal, pregenual anterior cingulate, and posterior cingulate), within the DMN and consistently implicated in mood disorders, were selected as seeds. Within- and between-network clusters of the DMN iFC changed with pubertal maturation differently in boys and girls (puberty-X-sex). Specifically, pubertal maturation predicted weaker iFC in girls and stronger iFC in boys. Finally, iFC was stronger in boys than girls independently of puberty. Brain-behavior associations indicated that lower connectivity of the anterior cingulate seed predicted higher internalizing symptoms at 2-year follow-up. In conclusion, weaker iFC of the anterior DMN may signal disconnections among circuits supporting mood regulation, conferring risk for internalizing disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Artiges
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Faculté de médecine, University Paris-Saclay, DIGITEO Labs, Gif sur Yvette, France
- University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Center for Neuroimaging Research (CENIR), Brain & Spine Institute, Paris, France
- Psychiatry Department 91G16, Orsay Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Herve Lemaitre
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Faculté de médecine, University Paris-Saclay, DIGITEO Labs, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | | | - Ruben Miranda
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Uli Bromberg
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, House W34, 3.OG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestr. 2 - 12, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, House W34, 3.OG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Cattrell
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tahmine Fadai
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, House W34, 3.OG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- Neurospin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CEA-Saclay Center, Saclay, France
| | - Juergen Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, 05405, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Yvonne Grimmer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Viola Kappel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Jani Penttilä
- Department of Social and Health Care, Psychosocial Services Adolescent Outpatient Clinic, University of Tampere, Kauppakatu 14, Lahti, Finland
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Argyris Stringaris
- NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maren Struve
- Department of Psychology, University College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Betteke M van Noort
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- Department of Psychology, University College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Faculté de médecine, University Paris-Saclay, DIGITEO Labs, Gif sur Yvette, France
- University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Center for Neuroimaging Research (CENIR), Brain & Spine Institute, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Let's call the whole thing off: evaluating gender and sex differences in executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:86-96. [PMID: 30143781 PMCID: PMC6235899 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The executive functions allow for purposeful, deliberate, and intentional interactions with the world-attention and focus, impulse control, decision making, and working memory. These measures have been correlated with academic outcomes and quality of life, and are impacted by deleterious environmental events throughout the life span, including gestational and early life insults. This review will address the topic of sex differences in executive function including a discussion of differences arising in response to developmental programming. Work on gender differences in human studies and sex differences in animal research will be reviewed. Overall, we find little support for significant gender or sex differences in executive function. An important variable that factors into the interpretation of potential sex differences include differing developmental trajectories. We conclude by discussing future directions for the field and a brief discussion of biological mechanisms.
Collapse
|
19
|
Vijayakumar N, Op de Macks Z, Shirtcliff EA, Pfeifer JH. Puberty and the human brain: Insights into adolescent development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:417-436. [PMID: 29972766 PMCID: PMC6234123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Alongside the exponential flourish of research on age-related trajectories of human brain development during childhood and adolescence in the past two decades, there has been an increase in the body of work examining the association between pubertal development and brain maturation. This review systematically examines empirical research on puberty-related structural and functional brain development in humans, with the aim of identifying convergent patterns of associations. We emphasize longitudinal studies, and discuss pervasive but oft-overlooked methodological issues that may be contributing to inconsistent findings and hindering progress (e.g., conflating distinct pubertal indices and different measurement instruments). We also briefly evaluate support for prominent models of adolescent neurodevelopment that hypothesize puberty-related changes in brain regions involved in affective and motivational processes. For the field to progress, replication studies are needed to help resolve current inconsistencies and gain a clearer understanding of pubertal associations with brain development in humans, knowledge that is crucial to make sense of the changes in psychosocial functioning, risk behavior, and mental health during adolescence.
Collapse
|
20
|
Alarcón G, Pfeifer JH, Fair DA, Nagel BJ. Adolescent Gender Differences in Cognitive Control Performance and Functional Connectivity Between Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal Networks Within a Self-Referential Context. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:73. [PMID: 29740292 PMCID: PMC5924772 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ineffective reduction of functional connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN) during cognitive control can interfere with performance in healthy individuals—a phenomenon present in psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Here, this mechanism is studied in healthy adolescents by examining gender differences in task-regressed functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a novel task designed to place the DMN—supporting self-referential processing (SRP)—and FPN—supporting cognitive control—into conflict. Compared to boys, girls showed stronger functional connectivity between DMN and FPN during cognitive control in an SRP context (n = 40; boys = 20), a context that also elicited more errors of omission in girls. The gender difference in errors of omission was mediated by higher self-reported co-rumination—the extensive and repetitive discussion of problems and focus on negative feelings with a same-gender peer—by girls, compared to boys. These findings indicate that placing internal and external attentional demands in conflict lead to persistent functional connectivity between FPN and DMN in girls, but not boys; however, deficits in performance during this context were explained by co-rumination, such that youth with higher co-rumination displayed the largest performance deficits. Previous research shows that co-rumination predicts depressive symptoms during adolescence; thus, gender differences in the mechanisms involved with transitioning from internal to external processing may be relevant for understanding heightened vulnerability for depression in adolescent girls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Alarcón
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer H Pfeifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Damien A Fair
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Gur RE, Gur RC. Sex differences in brain and behavior in adolescence: Findings from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:159-170. [PMID: 27498084 PMCID: PMC5098398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in brain and behavior were investigated across the lifespan. Parameters include neurobehavioral measures linkable to neuroanatomic and neurophysiologic indicators of brain structure and function. Sexual differentiation of behavior has been related to organizational factors during sensitive periods of development, with adolescence and puberty gaining increased attention. Adolescence is a critical developmental period where transition to adulthood is impacted by multiple factors that can enhance vulnerability to brain dysfunction. Here we highlight sex differences in neurobehavioral measures in adolescence that are linked to brain function. We summarize neuroimaging studies examining brain structure, connectivity and perfusion, underscoring the relationship to sex differences in behavioral measures and commenting on hormonal findings. We focus on relevant data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC), a community-based sample of nearly 10,000 clinically and neurocognitively phenotyped youths age 8-21 of whom 1600 have received multimodal neuroimaging. These data indicate early and pervasive sexual differentiation in neurocognitive measures that is linkable to brain parameters. We conclude by describing possible clinical implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel E Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lower Working Memory Performance in Overweight and Obese Adolescents Is Mediated by White Matter Microstructure. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2016; 22:281-92. [PMID: 26708324 PMCID: PMC5642274 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617715001265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with deficits in working memory, reduced gray matter volume in frontal and parietal lobes, as well as changes in white matter (WM) microstructure. The current study examined whether BMI was related to working memory performance and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity, as well as WM microstructure during adolescence. METHODS Linear regressions with BMI and (1) verbal working memory BOLD signal, (2) spatial working memory BOLD signal, and (3) fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of WM microstructure, were conducted in a sample of 152 healthy adolescents ranging in BMI. RESULTS BMI was inversely related to IQ and verbal and spatial working memory accuracy; however, there was no significant relationship between BMI and BOLD response for either verbal or spatial working memory. Furthermore, BMI was negatively correlated with FA in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). ILF FA and IQ significantly mediated the relationship between BMI and verbal working memory performance, whereas SLF FA, but not IQ, significantly mediated the relationship between BMI and accuracy of both verbal and spatial working memory. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that higher BMI is associated with decreased FA in WM fibers connecting brain regions that support working memory, and that WM microstructural deficits may underlie inferior working memory performance in youth with higher BMI. Of interest, BMI did not show the same relationship with working memory BOLD activity, which may indicate that changes in brain structure precede changes in function.
Collapse
|
23
|
Cservenka A, Stroup ML, Etkin A, Nagel BJ. The effects of age, sex, and hormones on emotional conflict-related brain response during adolescence. Brain Cogn 2015; 99:135-50. [PMID: 26175008 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
While cognitive and emotional systems both undergo development during adolescence, few studies have explored top-down inhibitory control brain activity in the context of affective processing, critical to informing adolescent psychopathology. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain response during an Emotional Conflict (EmC) Task across 10-15-year-old youth. During the EmC Task, participants indicated the emotion of facial expressions, while disregarding emotion-congruent and incongruent words printed across the faces. We examined the relationships of age, sex, and gonadal hormones with brain activity on Incongruent vs. Congruent trials. Age was negatively associated with middle frontal gyrus activity, controlling for performance and movement confounds. Sex differences were present in occipital and parietal cortices, and were driven by activation in females, and deactivation in males to Congruent trials. Testosterone was negatively related with frontal and striatal brain response in males, and cerebellar and precuneus response in females. Estradiol was negatively related with fronto-cerebellar, cingulate, and precuneus brain activity in males, and positively related with occipital response in females. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the effects of age, sex, and sex steroids during an emotion-cognition task in adolescents. Further research is needed to examine longitudinal development of emotion-cognition interactions and deviations in psychiatric disorders in adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cservenka
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, United States
| | | | - Amit Etkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, United States
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, United States.
| |
Collapse
|