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Caldwell HG, Hoiland RL, Bain AR, Howe CA, Carr JMJR, Gibbons TD, Durrer CG, Tymko MM, Stacey BS, Bailey DM, Sekhon MS, MacLeod DB, Ainslie PN. Evidence for direct CO 2 -mediated alterations in cerebral oxidative metabolism in humans. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14197. [PMID: 38958262 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14197] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
AIM How the cerebral metabolic rates of oxygen and glucose utilization (CMRO2 and CMRGlc, respectively) are affected by alterations in arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) is equivocal and therefore was the primary question of this study. METHODS This retrospective analysis involved pooled data from four separate studies, involving 41 healthy adults (35 males/6 females). Participants completed stepwise steady-state alterations in PaCO2 ranging between 30 and 60 mmHg. The CMRO2 and CMRGlc were assessed via the Fick approach (CBF × arterial-internal jugular venous difference of oxygen or glucose content, respectively) utilizing duplex ultrasound of the internal carotid artery and vertebral artery to calculate cerebral blood flow (CBF). RESULTS The CMRO2 was altered by 0.5 mL × min-1 (95% CI: -0.6 to -0.3) per mmHg change in PaCO2 (p < 0.001) which corresponded to a 9.8% (95% CI: -13.2 to -6.5) change in CMRO2 with a 9 mmHg change in PaCO2 (inclusive of hypo- and hypercapnia). The CMRGlc was reduced by 7.7% (95% CI: -15.4 to -0.08, p = 0.045; i.e., reduction in net glucose uptake) and the oxidative glucose index (ratio of oxygen to glucose uptake) was reduced by 5.6% (95% CI: -11.2 to 0.06, p = 0.049) with a + 9 mmHg increase in PaCO2. CONCLUSION Collectively, the CMRO2 is altered by approximately 1% per mmHg change in PaCO2. Further, glucose is incompletely oxidized during hypercapnia, indicating reductions in CMRO2 are either met by compensatory increases in nonoxidative glucose metabolism or explained by a reduction in total energy production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah G Caldwell
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ryan L Hoiland
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Collaborative Entity for REsearching Brain Ischemia (CEREBRI), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anthony R Bain
- Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Connor A Howe
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jay M J R Carr
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Travis D Gibbons
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cody G Durrer
- Centre for Physical Activity Research, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael M Tymko
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Human Cerebrovascular Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin S Stacey
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Damian M Bailey
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UK
| | - Mypinder S Sekhon
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Collaborative Entity for REsearching Brain Ischemia (CEREBRI), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David B MacLeod
- Human Pharmacology and Physiology Lab, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Philip N Ainslie
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Aberizk K, Addington JM, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Keshavan M, Mathalon DH, Perkins DO, Stone WS, Tsuang MT, Woods SW, Walker EF, Ku BS. Relations of Lifetime Perceived Stress and Basal Cortisol With Hippocampal Volume Among Healthy Adolescents and Those at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:401-411. [PMID: 38092185 PMCID: PMC11166888 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hippocampal volume (HV) is sensitive to environmental influences. Under normative conditions in humans, HV increases linearly into childhood and asymptotes in early adulthood. Studies of humans and nonhuman animals have provided evidence of inverse relationships between several measures of stress and HV. METHODS Using structural equation modeling, this study aimed to characterize the relationships of age, basal cortisol, biological sex, and lifetime perceived stress with bilateral HV in a sample of healthy adolescents and adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) (N = 571, 43% female; age range = 12-19.9 years). This sample included 469 individuals at CHR-P and 102 healthy comparison participants from the combined baseline cohorts of the second and third NAPLS (North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study). RESULTS A structural model that constrained the individual effects of basal cortisol and perceived stress to single path coefficients, and freely estimated the effects of age and biological sex in group models, optimized model fit and parsimony relative to other candidate models. Significant inverse relationships between basal cortisol and bilateral HV were observed in adolescents at CHR-P and healthy comparison participants. Significant sex differences in bilateral HV were also observed, with females demonstrating smaller HV than males in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed heterogeneity in the relationships of age and biological sex with basal cortisol, lifetime perceived stress, and bilateral HV in individuals at CHR-P and healthy comparison participants. Moreover, the findings support previous literature indicating that elevated basal cortisol is a nonspecific risk factor for reduced HV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Aberizk
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Jean M Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Diana O Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - William S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ming T Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Scott W Woods
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Benson S Ku
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Syed Nasser N, Venugopal VK, Veenstra C, Johansson P, Rajan S, Mahajan K, Naik S, Masand R, Yadav P, Khanduri S, Singhal S, Bhargava R, Kabra U, Gupta S, Saggar K, Varaprasad B, Aggrawal K, Rao A, K S M, Dakhole A, Kelkar A, Benjamin G, Sodani V, Goyal P, Mahajan H. Age-stratified Assessment of Brain Volumetric Segmentation on the Indian Population Using Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Clin Neuroradiol 2024; 34:541-551. [PMID: 38253891 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-023-01374-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Automated methods for quantifying brain tissue volumes have gained clinical interest for their objective assessment of neurological diseases. This study aimed to establish reference curves for brain volumes and fractions in the Indian population using Synthetic MRI (SyMRI), a quantitative imaging technique providing multiple contrast-weighted images through fast postprocessing. METHODS The study included a cohort of 314 healthy individuals aged 15-65 years from multiple hospitals/centers across India. The SyMRI-quantified brain volumes and fractions, including brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), gray matter fraction (GMF), white matter fraction (WMF), and myelin. RESULTS Normative age-stratified quantification curves were created based on the obtained data. The results showed significant differences in brain volumes between the sexes, but not after normalization by intracranial volume. CONCLUSION The findings provide normative data for the Indian population and can be used for comparative analysis of brain structure values. Furthermore, our data indicate that the use of fractions rather than absolute volumes in normative curves, such as BPF, GMF, and WMF, can mitigate sex and population differences as they account for individual differences in head size or brain volume.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Swati Naik
- Batra Hospital & Medical Research Centre, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Pratiksha Yadav
- Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kavita Saggar
- Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, India
| | | | | | | | - Manoj K S
- Metro Scans and Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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Handschuh PA, Reed MB, Murgaš M, Vraka C, Kaufmann U, Nics L, Klöbl M, Ozenil M, Konadu ME, Patronas EM, Spurny-Dworak B, Hahn A, Hacker M, Spies M, Baldinger-Melich P, Kranz GS, Lanzenberger R. Effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on gray matter density, microstructure and monoamine oxidase A levels in transgender subjects. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120716. [PMID: 38955254 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
MAO-A catalyzes the oxidative degradation of monoamines and is thus implicated in sex-specific neuroplastic processes that influence gray matter (GM) density (GMD) and microstructure (GMM). Given the exact monitoring of plasma hormone levels and sex steroid intake, transgender individuals undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GHT) represent a valuable cohort to potentially investigate sex steroid-induced changes of GM and concomitant MAO-A density. Here, we investigated the effects of GHT over a median time period of 4.5 months on GMD and GMM as well as MAO-A distribution volume. To this end, 20 cisgender women, 11 cisgender men, 20 transgender women and 10 transgender men underwent two MRI scans in a longitudinal design. PET scans using [11C]harmine were performed before each MRI session in a subset of 35 individuals. GM changes determined by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) metrics for GMM and voxel based morphometry (VBM) for GMD were estimated using repeated measures ANOVA. Regions showing significant changes of both GMM and GMD were used for the subsequent analysis of MAO-A density. These involved the fusiform gyrus, rolandic operculum, inferior occipital cortex, middle and anterior cingulum, bilateral insula, cerebellum and the lingual gyrus (post-hoc tests: pFWE+Bonferroni < 0.025). In terms of MAO-A distribution volume, no significant effects were found. Additionally, the sexual desire inventory (SDI) was applied to assess GHT-induced changes in sexual desire, showing an increase of SDI scores among transgender men. Changes in the GMD of the bilateral insula showed a moderate correlation to SDI scores (rho = - 0.62, pBonferroni = 0.047). The present results are indicative of a reliable influence of gender-affirming hormone therapy on 1) GMD and GMM following an interregional pattern and 2) sexual desire specifically among transgender men.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Handschuh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M B Reed
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Murgaš
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - C Vraka
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - U Kaufmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - L Nics
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Klöbl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Ozenil
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M E Konadu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - E M Patronas
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - B Spurny-Dworak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - A Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Spies
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - P Baldinger-Melich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - G S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - R Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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Yıldırım C, Düzenli-Öztürk S, Parlak MM. Assessing the perception of emotional prosody in healthy ageing. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2024. [PMID: 39137279 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional prosody is the reflection of emotion types such as happiness, sadness, fear and anger in the speaker's tone of voice. Accurately perceiving, interpreting and expressing emotional prosody is an inseparable part of successful communication and social interaction. There are few studies on emotional prosody, which is crucial for communication, and the results of these studies have inconsistent information regarding age and gender. AIMS The primary aim of this study is to assess the perception of emotional prosody in healthy ageing. The other aim is to examine the effects of variables such as age, gender, language and neurocognitive capacity on the prediction of emotional prosody recognition skills. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Sixty-nine participants between the ages of 18-75 were included in the study. Participants were grouped as the young group aged 18-35 (n = 26), the middle-aged group aged 36-55 (n = 24) and the elderly group aged 56-75 (n = 19). Perceptual emotional prosody test, motor response time test, and neuropsychological test batteries were administered to the participants. Participants were asked to recognise the emotion in the sentences played on the computer. Natural (neutral, containing neither positive nor negative emotion), happy, angry, surprised and panic emotions were evaluated with sentences composed of pseudoword stimuli. RESULTS AND OUTCOMES It was observed that the elderly group performed worse in recognising angry, panic, natural and happy emotions and in total recognition, which gives the correct recognition performance in recognition of all emotions. There was no age-related difference in recognition of the emotion of surprise. The women were more successful in recognising angry, panic, happy and total emotions compared to men. Age and Motor Reaction Time Test scores were found to be significant predictors in the emotional response time regression model. Age, language, attention and gender variables were found to have a significant effect on the regression model created for the success of total recognition of emotions (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This was a novel study in which emotional prosody was assessed in the elderly by eliminating lexical-semantic cues related to emotional prosody and associating emotional prosody results with neuropsychiatric tests. All our findings revealed the importance of age for the perception of emotional prosody. In addition, the effects of cognitive functions such as attention, which decline with age, were found to be important. Therefore, it should not be forgotten that many factors contribute to the success of recognising emotional prosody correctly. In this context, clinicians should consider variables such as cognitive health and education when assessing the perception of emotional prosody in elderly individuals. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject Most of the studies compare young and old groups, and these studies evaluate the perception of emotional prosody by using sentences formed by observing the speech sounds, syllables, words and grammar rules in the vocabulary of the language. It has been reported that the perception of emotional prosody is lower, mostly in the elderly group, but there is inconsistent information in terms of age and gender. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Perceptual Prosody Recognition was evaluated with an experimental design in which sentence structures consisting of lexemes were used as stimuli and neurocognitive tests were included, taking into account the phonological and syntactic rules of language. This study was a novel study in diagnosing emotional prosody in terms of comparing different age groups and determining the factors affecting multidimensional emotional prosody, including neuropsychiatric features. What are the clinical implications of this work? All our findings revealed the importance of age for the perception of emotional prosody. In addition, it was determined that the effects of cognitive functions such as attention were important with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cansu Yıldırım
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, İzmir Bakırçay University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Seren Düzenli-Öztürk
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, İzmir Bakırçay University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mümüne Merve Parlak
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
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Mnif M, Chikh S, Watelain E, Jarraya M. Sex of an Observer Effects on Adults' Motor, Cognitive, and Affective Dart-Shooting Performance. Percept Mot Skills 2024:315125241272509. [PMID: 39129218 DOI: 10.1177/00315125241272509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Mnif
- Research Unit: Education, Motor Skills, Sport and Health (EM2S), UR15JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Soufien Chikh
- Research Unit: Education, Motor Skills, Sport and Health (EM2S), UR15JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Eric Watelain
- Université of Toulon, Laboratory UR J-AP2S 201723207F, Toulon, France
| | - Mohamed Jarraya
- Research Unit: Education, Motor Skills, Sport and Health (EM2S), UR15JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
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Bakker J. Neurobiological characteristics associated with gender identity: Findings from neuroimaging studies in the Amsterdam cohort of children and adolescents experiencing gender incongruence. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105601. [PMID: 39029340 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105601] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
This review has been based on my invited lecture at the annual meeting of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology in 2023. Gender incongruence is defined as a marked and persistent incongruence between an individual's experienced gender and the sex assigned at birth. A prominent hypothesis on the etiology of gender incongruence proposes that it is related to an altered or less pronounced sexual differentiation of the brain. This hypothesis has primarily been based on postmortem studies of the hypothalamus in transgender individuals. To further address this hypothesis, a series of structural and functional neuroimaging studies were conducted in the Amsterdam cohort of children and adolescents experiencing gender incongruence. Additional research objectives were to determine whether any sex and gender differences are established before or after puberty, as well as whether gender affirming hormone treatment would affect brain development and function. We found some evidence in favor of the sexual differentiation hypothesis at the functional level, but this was less evident at the structural level. We also observed some specific transgender neural signatures, suggesting that they might present a unique brain phenotype rather than being shifted towards either end of the male-female spectrum. Our results further suggest that the years between childhood and mid-adolescence represent an important period in which puberty-related factors influence several neural characteristics, such as white matter development and functional connectivity patterns, in both a sex and gender identity specific way. These latter observations thus lead to the important question about the possible negative consequences of delaying puberty on neurodevelopment. To further address this question, larger-scale, longitudinal studies are required to increase our understanding of the possible neurodevelopmental impacts of delaying puberty in transgender youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Bakker
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Belgium.
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8
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Quintana GR, Pfaus JG. Do Sex and Gender Have Separate Identities? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:2957-2975. [PMID: 39105983 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02933-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
The largely binary nature of biological sex and its conflation with the socially constructed concept of gender has created much strife in the last few years. The notion of gender identity and its differences and similarities with sex have fostered much scientific and legal confusion and disagreement. Settling the debate can have significant repercussions for science, medicine, legislation, and people's lives. The present review addresses this debate though different levels of analysis (i.e., genetic, anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and sociocultural), and their implications and interactions. We propose a rationale where both perspectives coexist, where diversity is the default, establishing a delimitation to the conflation between sex and gender, while acknowledging their interaction. Whereas sex in humans and other mammals is a biological reality that is largely binary and based on genes, chromosomes, anatomy, and physiology, gender is a sociocultural construct that is often, but not always, concordant with a person' sex, and can span a multitude of expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo R Quintana
- Departamento de Psicología y Filosofía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Arica y Parinacota, Chile
| | - James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Charles University, Prague, 18200, Czech Republic.
- Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.
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9
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Allison EY, Al-Khazraji BK. Association of Arterial Stiffness Index and Brain Structure in the UK Biobank: A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis. Aging Dis 2024; 15:1872-1884. [PMID: 37307821 PMCID: PMC11272205 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Arterial stiffening and changes in brain structure both occur with normal aging and can be exacerbated via acquired health conditions. While cross-sectional associations exist, the longitudinal relationship between arterial stiffness and brain structure remains unclear. In this study, we investigated 1) associations between baseline arterial stiffness index (ASI) and brain structure (global and regional grey matter volumes (GMV), white matter hyperintensities (WMH)) 10-years post-baseline (10.4±0.8 years) and 2) associations between the 10-year change in ASI from baseline and brain structure 10-years post-baseline in 650 healthy middle- to older-aged adults (53.4±7.5 years) from the UK Biobank. We observed significant associations between baseline ASI and GMV (p<0.001) and WMH (p=0.0036) 10-years post-baseline. No significant associations between 10-year change in ASI and brain structure (global GMV p=0.24; WMH volume p=0.87) were observed. There were significant associations of baseline ASI in 2 of 60 regional brain volumes analyzed (right posterior superior temporal gyrus p=0.001; left superior lateral occipital cortex p<0.001). Strong associations with baseline ASI, but not changes in ASI over 10-years, suggest arterial stiffness at the entry point of older adulthood is more impactful on brain structure 10-years later compared to age-related stiffening. Based on these associations, we suggest clinical monitoring and potential intervention for reducing arterial stiffness should occur in midlife to reduce vascular contributions to structural changes in the brain, supporting a healthy trajectory of brain aging. Our findings also support use of ASI as a surrogate for gold standard measures in showing overall relationships between arterial stiffness and brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elric Y Allison
- Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Baraa K Al-Khazraji
- Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Jacob SM, Lee S, Kim SH, Sharkey KA, Pfeffer G, Nguyen MD. Brain-body mechanisms contribute to sexual dimorphism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:475-494. [PMID: 38965379 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00991-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of human motor neuron disease. It is characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to generalized motor weakness and, ultimately, respiratory paralysis and death within 3-5 years. The disease is shaped by genetics, age, sex and environmental stressors, but no cure or routine biomarkers exist for the disease. Male individuals have a higher propensity to develop ALS, and a different manifestation of the disease phenotype, than female individuals. However, the mechanisms underlying these sex differences remain a mystery. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiology of ALS, examine the sexually dimorphic presentation of the disease and highlight the genetic variants and molecular pathways that might contribute to sex differences in humans and animal models of ALS. We advance the idea that sexual dimorphism in ALS arises from the interactions between the CNS and peripheral organs, involving vascular, metabolic, endocrine, musculoskeletal and immune systems, which are strikingly different between male and female individuals. Finally, we review the response to treatments in ALS and discuss the potential to implement future personalized therapeutic strategies for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Jacob
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sukyoung Lee
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Keith A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gerald Pfeffer
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Minh Dang Nguyen
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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11
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Pecheva D, Smith DM, Casey BJ, Woodward LJ, Dale AM, Filippi CG, Watts R. Sex and mental health are related to subcortical brain microstructure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2403212121. [PMID: 39042688 PMCID: PMC11295051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2403212121] [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: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Some mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are more common in females, while others such as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity (AD/H) are more common in males. However, the neurobiological origins of these sex differences are poorly understood. Animal studies have shown substantial sex differences in neuronal and glial cell structure, while human brain imaging studies have shown only small differences, which largely reflect overall body and brain size. Advanced diffusion MRI techniques can be used to examine intracellular, extracellular, and free water signal contributions and provide unique insights into microscopic cellular structure. However, the extent to which sex differences exist in these metrics of subcortical gray matter structures implicated in psychiatric disorders is not known. Here, we show large sex-related differences in microstructure in subcortical regions, including the hippocampus, thalamus, and nucleus accumbens in a large sample of young adults. Unlike conventional T1-weighted structural imaging, large sex differences remained after adjustment for age and brain volume. Further, diffusion metrics in the thalamus and amygdala were associated with depression, anxiety, AD/H, and antisocial personality problems. Diffusion MRI may provide mechanistic insights into the origin of sex differences in behavior and mental health over the life course and help to bridge the gap between findings from experimental, epidemiological, and clinical mental health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diliana Pecheva
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Diana M. Smith
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - B. J. Casey
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY10027
| | - Lianne J. Woodward
- Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury, Christchurch8140, New Zealand
| | - Anders M. Dale
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA92093
| | - Christopher G. Filippi
- Department of Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children and the SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1E8, Canada
| | - Richard Watts
- Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury, Christchurch8140, New Zealand
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12
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Maddern XJ, Ursich LT, Bailey G, Pearl A, Anversa RG, Lawrence AJ, Walker LC. Sex Differences in Alcohol Use: Is It All About Hormones? Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae088. [PMID: 39018449 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Risky alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUD) are a rising problem in women, yet a major disparity in our understanding of what drives alcohol consumption in women remains. Historically biomedical research has focused on male subjects; however, recent increases in reporting of females, have highlighted major differences between the sexes. Here we review the current literature of the effect of gonadal steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, and progestins), neurosteriods, and neurobiological factors on alcohol use in clinical and preclinical studies of both sexes. Further, we briefly discuss how fundamental sex differences in genetics, metabolism, neuroimmune, and stress responses may influence sex differences in alcohol intake. Comparing the sexes could aid in the discovery of novel therapeutics to treat AUD, and implementation of current treatment options in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier J Maddern
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lauren T Ursich
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Grace Bailey
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Amy Pearl
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Roberta G Anversa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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13
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Maldonado-Devincci AM, Odelade AE, Irby-Shabazz A, Jadhav V, Nepal P, Chang EM, Chang AY, Han J. Longitudinal sex-specific impacts of high-fat diet on dopaminergic dysregulation and behavior from periadolescence to late adulthood. Nutr Neurosci 2024:1-14. [PMID: 39046103 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2024.2377471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Obesity is recognized for its adverse impact on brain health and related behaviors; however, the specific longitudinal effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) from juvenile stages of development through late adulthood remain poorly understood, particularly sex-specific outcomes. This study aimed to determine how prolonged exposure to HFD, commencing during periadolescence, would differentially predispose male and female mice to an elevated risk of dopaminergic dysregulation and associated behavioral deficits. METHODS One-month-old C57BL/6J male and female mice were subjected to either a control diet or an HFD for 5 and 9 months. Muscle strength, motor skills, sensorimotor integration, and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed at the end of the 5th and 8th months. Key dopaminergic molecules, including dopamine (DA), dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), dopamine transporter (DAT), and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), were quantified at the end of the 5th or 9th months. RESULTS Behaviorally, male mice exposed to HFD exhibited more pronounced alterations in sensorimotor integration, anxiety-like behavior, and muscle strength after the 5th month of dietary exposure. In contrast, female mice displayed most behavioral differences after the 8th month of HFD exposure. Physiologically, there were notable sex-specific variations in the dopaminergic pathway response to HFD. Male mice exposed to HFD exhibited elevated tissue levels of VMAT2 and DRD2, whereas female mice showed reduced levels of DRD2 and DAT compared to control groups. DISCUSSION These findings indicate a general trend of altered time course susceptibility in male mice to chronic HFD consumption compared to their female counterparts, with male mice impacted earlier than females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoniette M Maldonado-Devincci
- Department of Psychology, John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Anuoluwapo E Odelade
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Adenike Irby-Shabazz
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Vidya Jadhav
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Pragya Nepal
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Evelyn M Chang
- Program in Liberal Medical Education, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence
| | - Alex Y Chang
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jian Han
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC USA
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14
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de Miranda Rohlfs ICP, Noce F, Wilke C, Terry VR, Parsons-Smith RL, Terry PC. Prevalence of Specific Mood Profile Clusters among Elite and Youth Athletes at a Brazilian Sports Club. Sports (Basel) 2024; 12:195. [PMID: 39058086 PMCID: PMC11280759 DOI: 10.3390/sports12070195] [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: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Those responsible for elite and youth athletes are increasingly aware of the need to balance the quest for superior performance with the need to protect the physical and psychological wellbeing of athletes. As a result, regular assessment of risks to mental health is a common feature in sports organisations. In the present study, the Brazil Mood Scale (BRAMS) was administered to 898 athletes (387 female, 511 male, age range: 12-44 years) at a leading sports club in Rio de Janeiro using either "past week" or "right now" response timeframes. Using seeded k-means cluster analysis, six distinct mood profile clusters were identified, referred to as the iceberg, surface, submerged, shark fin, inverse iceberg, and inverse Everest profiles. The latter three profiles, which are associated with varying degrees of increased risk to mental health, were reported by 238 athletes (26.5%). The prevalence of these three mood clusters varied according to the response timeframe (past week > right now) and the sex of the athletes (female > male). The prevalence of the iceberg profile varied by athlete sex (male > female), and age (12-17 years > 18+ years). Findings supported use of the BRAMS as a screening tool for the risk of psychological issues among athletes in Brazilian sports organisations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabel Cristina Provenza de Miranda Rohlfs
- School of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia; (R.L.P.-S.); (P.C.T.)
- Unified Center for the Identification and Development of Performance Athletes (CUIDAR), Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro 22430-041, Brazil
- School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (F.N.); (C.W.)
| | - Franco Noce
- School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (F.N.); (C.W.)
| | - Carolina Wilke
- School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (F.N.); (C.W.)
- Faculty of Sport, Technology and Health Sciences, St. Mary’s University, London TW1 4SX, UK
| | - Victoria R. Terry
- Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia;
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia
| | - Renée L. Parsons-Smith
- School of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia; (R.L.P.-S.); (P.C.T.)
| | - Peter C. Terry
- School of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia; (R.L.P.-S.); (P.C.T.)
- Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia;
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15
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Bradshaw JL, Wilson EN, Mabry S, Shrestha P, Gardner JJ, Cunningham RL. Impact of sex and hypoxia on brain region-specific expression of membrane androgen receptor AR45 in rats. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1420144. [PMID: 39092288 PMCID: PMC11291194 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1420144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sex differences in oxidative stress-associated cognitive decline are influenced by sex hormone levels. Notably, oxidative stress-associated neuronal cell death can be exacerbated through testosterone signaling via membrane androgen receptor AR45, which is complexed with G protein Gαq within plasma membrane-associated lipid rafts. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of sex on the expression of AR45 and Gαq in brain regions associated with cognitive function, specifically hippocampus subregions and entorhinal cortex. Additionally, we investigated whether chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), an oxidative stressor with sex-specific effects, would modulate AR45 and Gαq expression in these brain regions. Methods Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to CIH or normoxia (room air) during their sleep phase for 14 days. We quantified AR45 and Gαq protein expression in various cognition-associated brain regions [dorsal hippocampal CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus (DG), and entorhinal cortex (ETC)] via western blotting. For comparisons, AR45 and Gαq protein expression were also assessed in brain regions outside the hippocampal-ETC circuit [thalamus (TH) and striatum (STR)]. Results The highest AR45 levels were expressed in the hippocampal CA1 and DG while the lowest expression was observed in the extrahippocampal STR. The highest Gαq levels were expressed in the hippocampal-associated ETC while the lowest expression was observed in the extrahippocampal TH. Females expressed higher levels of AR45 in the hippocampal DG compared to males, while no sex differences in Gαq expression were observed regardless of brain region assessed. Moreover, there was no effect of CIH on AR45 or Gαq expression in any of the brain regions examined. AR45 expression was positively correlated with Gαq expression in the CA1, DG, ETC, TH, and STR in a sex-dependent manner. Conclusion Our findings reveal enrichment of AR45 and Gαq protein expression within the hippocampal-ETC circuit, which is vulnerable to oxidative stress and neurodegeneration during cognitive decline. Nonetheless, CIH does not modulate the expression of AR45 or Gαq. Importantly, there are sex differences in AR45 expression and its association with Gαq expression in various brain regions, which may underlie sex-specific differences in cognitive and motor function-associated declines with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Bradshaw
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - E. Nicole Wilson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Steve Mabry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Pawan Shrestha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
- North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Jennifer J. Gardner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Rebecca L. Cunningham
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas (UNT) System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
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16
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Sheng Y, Wang Y, Wang X, Zhang Z, Zhu D, Zheng W. No sex difference in maturation of brain morphology during the perinatal period. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02828-x. [PMID: 39020216 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02828-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence have documented sex differences in brain anatomy from early childhood to late adulthood. However, whether sex difference of brain structure emerges in the neonatal brain and how sex modulates the development of cortical morphology during the perinatal stage remains unclear. Here, we utilized T2-weighted MRI from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) database, consisting of 41 male and 40 female neonates born between 35 and 43 postmenstrual weeks (PMW). Neonates of each sex were arranged in a continuous ascending order of age to capture the progressive changes in cortical thickness and curvature throughout the developmental continuum. The maturational covariance network (MCN) was defined as the coupled developmental fluctuations of morphology measures between cortical regions. We constructed MCNs based on the two features, respectively, to illustrate their developmental interdependencies, and then compared the network topology between sexes. Our results showed that cortical structural development exhibited a localized pattern in both males and females, with no significant sex differences in the developmental trajectory of cortical morphology, overall organization, nodal importance, and modular structure of the MCN. Furthermore, by merging male and female neonates into a unified cohort, we identified evident dependencies influences in structural development between different brain modules using the Granger causality analysis (GCA), emanating from high-order regions toward primary cortices. Our findings demonstrate that the maturational pattern of cortical morphology may not differ between sexes during the perinatal period, and provide evidence for the developmental causality among cortical structures in perinatal brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Sheng
- School of Foreign Languages, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Institute of Brain Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dalin Zhu
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-Care Hospital Lanzhou, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China.
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17
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Herlin B, Uszynski I, Chauvel M, Dupont S, Poupon C. Sex-related variability of white matter tracts in the whole HCP cohort. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02833-0. [PMID: 39012482 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral differences between men and women have been studied extensively, as have differences in brain anatomy. However, most studies have focused on differences in gray matter, while white matter has been much less studied. We conducted a comprehensive study of 77 deep white matter tracts to analyze their volumetric and microstructural variability between men and women in the full Human Connectome Project (HCP) cohort of 1065 healthy individuals aged 22-35 years. We found a significant difference in total brain volume between men and women (+ 12.6% in men), consistent with the literature. 16 tracts showed significant volumetric differences between men and women, one of which stood out due to a larger effect size: the corpus callosum genu, which was larger in women (+ 7.3% in women, p = 5.76 × 10-19). In addition, we found several differences in microstructural parameters between men and women, both using standard Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) parameters and more complex microstructural parameters from the Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) model, with the tracts showing the greatest differences belonging to motor (cortico-spinal tracts, cortico-cerebellar tracts) or limbic (cingulum, fornix, thalamo-temporal radiations) systems. These microstructural differences may be related to known behavioral differences between the sexes in timed motor performance, aggressiveness/impulsivity, and social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Herlin
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.
- Rehabilitation Unit, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
- Université Paris Sorbonne, Paris, France.
| | - I Uszynski
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - M Chauvel
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - S Dupont
- Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, Department of Neurology, Epileptology Unit, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Rehabilitation Unit, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Sorbonne-Université, Inserm U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris, France
- Université Paris Sorbonne, Paris, France
| | - C Poupon
- BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
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18
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Chao ZC, Komatsu M, Matsumoto M, Iijima K, Nakagaki K, Ichinohe N. Erroneous predictive coding across brain hierarchies in a non-human primate model of autism spectrum disorder. Commun Biol 2024; 7:851. [PMID: 38992101 PMCID: PMC11239931 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06545-3] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), atypical sensory experiences are often associated with irregularities in predictive coding, which proposes that the brain creates hierarchical sensory models via a bidirectional process of predictions and prediction errors. However, it remains unclear how these irregularities manifest across different functional hierarchies in the brain. To address this, we study a marmoset model of ASD induced by valproic acid (VPA) treatment. We record high-density electrocorticography (ECoG) during an auditory task with two layers of temporal control, and applied a quantitative model to quantify the integrity of predictive coding across two distinct hierarchies. Our results demonstrate a persistent pattern of sensory hypersensitivity and unstable predictions across two brain hierarchies in VPA-treated animals, and reveal the associated spatio-spectro-temporal neural signatures. Despite the regular occurrence of imprecise predictions in VPA-treated animals, we observe diverse configurations of underestimation or overestimation of sensory regularities within the hierarchies. Our results demonstrate the coexistence of the two primary Bayesian accounts of ASD: overly-precise sensory observations and weak prior beliefs, and offer a potential multi-layered biomarker for ASD, which could enhance our understanding of its diverse symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenas C Chao
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Misako Komatsu
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 226-8503, Tokyo, Japan.
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Wako, Japan.
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 187-8502, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Madoka Matsumoto
- Department of Preventive Intervention for Psychiatric Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 187-8553, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuki Iijima
- Department of Preventive Intervention for Psychiatric Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 187-8553, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakagaki
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 187-8502, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noritaka Ichinohe
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), 187-8502, Tokyo, Japan.
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19
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Burmistrov DE, Gudkov SV, Franceschi C, Vedunova MV. Sex as a Determinant of Age-Related Changes in the Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7122. [PMID: 39000227 PMCID: PMC11241365 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The notion of notable anatomical, biochemical, and behavioral distinctions within male and female brains has been a contentious topic of interest within the scientific community over several decades. Advancements in neuroimaging and molecular biological techniques have increasingly elucidated common mechanisms characterizing brain aging while also revealing disparities between sexes in these processes. Variations in cognitive functions; susceptibility to and progression of neurodegenerative conditions, notably Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; and notable disparities in life expectancy between sexes, underscore the significance of evaluating aging within the framework of gender differences. This comprehensive review surveys contemporary literature on the restructuring of brain structures and fundamental processes unfolding in the aging brain at cellular and molecular levels, with a focus on gender distinctions. Additionally, the review delves into age-related cognitive alterations, exploring factors influencing the acceleration or deceleration of aging, with particular attention to estrogen's hormonal support of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitriy E. Burmistrov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilova St., 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Sergey V. Gudkov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilova St., 119991 Moscow, Russia;
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Maria V. Vedunova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
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20
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Mayerhoefer ME, Shepherd TM, Weber M, Leithner D, Woo S, Pan JW, Pardoe HR. Sexual Dimorphism of Radiomic Features in the Brain: An Exploratory Study Using 700 μm MP2RAGE MRI at 7 T. Invest Radiol 2024:00004424-990000000-00223. [PMID: 38896439 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000001088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine whether MRI radiomic features of key cerebral structures differ between women and men, and whether detection of such differences depends on the image resolution. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ultrahigh resolution (UHR) 3D MP2RAGE (magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echo) T1-weighted MR images (voxel size, 0.7 × 0.7 × 0.7 mm3) of the brain of 30 subjects (18 women and 12 men; mean age, 39.0 ± 14.8 years) without abnormal findings on MRI were retrospectively included. MRI was performed on a whole-body 7 T MR system. A convolutional neural network was used to segment the following structures: frontal cortex, frontal white matter, thalamus, putamen, globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and corpus callosum. Eighty-seven radiomic features were extracted respectively: gray-level histogram (n = 18), co-occurrence matrix (n = 24), run-length matrix (n = 16), size-zone matrix (n = 16), and dependence matrix (n = 13). Feature extraction was performed at UHR and, additionally, also after resampling to 1.4 × 1.4 × 1.4 mm3 voxel size (standard clinical resolution). Principal components (PCs) of radiomic features were calculated, and independent samples t tests with Cohen d as effect size measure were used to assess differences in PCs between women and men for the different cerebral structures. RESULTS At UHR, at least a single PC differed significantly between women and men in 6/7 cerebral structures: frontal cortex (d = -0.79, P = 0.042 and d = -1.01, P = 0.010), frontal white matter (d = -0.81, P = 0.039), thalamus (d = 1.43, P < 0.001), globus pallidus (d = 0.92, P = 0.020), caudate nucleus (d = -0.83, P = 0.039), and corpus callosum (d = -0.97, P = 0.039). At standard clinical resolution, only a single PC extracted from the corpus callosum differed between sexes (d = 1.05, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS Nonnegligible differences in radiomic features of several key structures of the brain exist between women and men, and need to be accounted for. Very high spatial resolution may be required to uncover and further investigate the sexual dimorphism of brain structures on MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius E Mayerhoefer
- From the Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY (M.E.M., T.M.S., D.L., S.W.); Division of General and Pediatric Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (M.E.M., M.W.); Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia (H.R.P.); Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY (H.R.P.); and Department of Radiology, University of Missouri Columbia, Columbia, MO (J.W.P.)
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Pang Y, Cai Y, Xia Z, Gao X. Predicting brain age using Tri-UNet and various MRI scale features. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13742. [PMID: 38877107 PMCID: PMC11178849 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63998-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In the process of human aging, significant age-related changes occur in brain tissue. To assist individuals in assessing the degree of brain aging, screening for disease risks, and further diagnosing age-related diseases, it is crucial to develop an accurate method for predicting brain age. This paper proposes a multi-scale feature fusion method called Tri-UNet based on the U-Net network structure, as well as a brain region information fusion method based on multi-channel input networks. These methods address the issue of insufficient image feature learning in brain neuroimaging data. They can effectively utilize features at different scales of MRI and fully leverage feature information from different regions of the brain. In the end, experiments were conducted on the Cam-CAN dataset, resulting in a minimum Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 7.46. The results demonstrate that this method provides a new approach to feature learning at different scales in brain age prediction tasks, contributing to the advancement of the field and holding significance for practical applications in the context of elderly education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Pang
- School of Science, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin, 130000, China.
| | - Yihuai Cai
- School of Science, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin, 130000, China.
| | - Zonghui Xia
- Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xujie Gao
- School of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
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22
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Fernández R, Ramírez K, Lorente-Bermúdez R, Gómez-Gil E, Mora M, Guillamon A, Pásaro E. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the metabotropic glutamate receptors in a transgender population. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1382861. [PMID: 38919484 PMCID: PMC11196815 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1382861] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Gender incongruence (GI) is characterized by a marked incongruence between an individual's experienced/expressed gender and the assigned sex at birth. It includes strong displeasure about his or her sexual anatomy and secondary sex characteristics. In some people, this condition produces a strong distress with anxiety and depression named gender dysphoria (GD). This condition appears to be associated with genetic, epigenetics, hormonal as well as social factors. Given that L-glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, also associated with male sexual behavior as well as depression, we aimed to determine whether metabotropic glutamate receptors are involved in GD. Methods We analyzed 74 single nucleotide polymorphisms located at the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1, mGluR3, mGluR4, mGluR5, mGluR7 and mGluR8) in 94 transgender versus 94 cisgender people. The allele and genotype frequencies were analyzed by c2 test contrasting male and female cisgender and transgender populations. The strength of the associations was measured by binary logistic regression, estimating the odds ratio (OR) for each genotype. Measurement of linkage disequilibrium, and subsequent measurement of haplotype frequencies were also performed considering three levels of significance: P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.005 and P ≤ 0.0005. Furthermore, false positives were controlled with the Bonferroni correction (P ≤ 0.05/74 = 0.00067). Results After analysis of allele and genotypic frequencies, we found twenty-five polymorphisms with significant differences at level P ≤ 0.05, five at P ≤ 0.005 and two at P ≤ 0.0005. Furthermore, the only two polymorphisms (rs9838094 and rs1818033) that passed the Bonferroni correction were both related to the metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) and showed significant differences for multiple patterns of inheritance. Moreover, the haplotype T/G [OR=0.34 (0.19-0.62); P<0.0004] had a lower representation in the transgender population than in the cisgender population, with no evidence of sex cross-interaction. Conclusion We provide genetic evidence that the mGluR7, and therefore glutamatergic neurotransmission, may be involved in GI and GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Fernández
- Department of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology Institute, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía (CICA), Diagnóstico Conductual y Molecular Aplicado a la Salud (DICOMOSA) Group, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Biomedical Research of A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Karla Ramírez
- Department of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology Institute, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía (CICA), Diagnóstico Conductual y Molecular Aplicado a la Salud (DICOMOSA) Group, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Biomedical Research of A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Roberto Lorente-Bermúdez
- Department of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology Institute, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía (CICA), Diagnóstico Conductual y Molecular Aplicado a la Salud (DICOMOSA) Group, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Esther Gómez-Gil
- Gender Identity Unit, Psychiatry Service, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Mora
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Clínic Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Guillamon
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Pásaro
- Department of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology Institute, Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía (CICA), Diagnóstico Conductual y Molecular Aplicado a la Salud (DICOMOSA) Group, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Biomedical Research of A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
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23
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Ochi S, Manabe S, Kikkawa T, Ebrahimiazar S, Kimura R, Yoshizaki K, Osumi N. A Transcriptomic Dataset of Embryonic Murine Telencephalon. Sci Data 2024; 11:586. [PMID: 38839806 PMCID: PMC11153524 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03421-x] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex bias is known in the prevalence/pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Sex-dependent differences of the certain brain areas are known to emerge perinatally through the exposure to sex hormones, while gene expression patterns in the rodent embryonic brain does not seem to be completely the same between male and female. To investigate potential sex differences in gene expression and cortical organization during the embryonic period in mice, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of gene expression for the telencephalon at embryonic day (E) 11.5 (a peak of neural stem cell expansion) and E14.5 (a peak of neurogenesis) using bulk RNA-seq data. As a result, our data showed the existence of notable sex differences in gene expression patterns not obviously at E11.5, but clearly at E14.5 when neurogenesis has become its peak. These data can be useful for exploring potential contribution of genes exhibiting sex differences to the divergence in brain development. Additionally, our data underscore the significance of studying the embryonic period to gain a deeper understanding of sex differences in brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Ochi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Shyu Manabe
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Sara Ebrahimiazar
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Kaichi Yoshizaki
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Future Medical Sciences, Division of Integrated Analysis of Bioresource and Health Care, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
- Kobe University Hospital, Bioresource Center, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
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van der Wijk G, Zamyadi M, Bray S, Hassel S, Arnott SR, Frey BN, Kennedy SH, Davis AD, Hall GB, Lam RW, Milev R, Müller DJ, Parikh S, Soares C, Macqueen GM, Strother SC, Protzner AB. Large Individual Differences in Functional Connectivity in the Context of Major Depression and Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0286-23.2024. [PMID: 38830756 PMCID: PMC11163402 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0286-23.2024] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies of major depression (MD) generally focus on group effects, yet interindividual differences in brain function are increasingly recognized as important and may even impact effect sizes related to group effects. Here, we examine the magnitude of individual differences in relation to group differences that are commonly investigated (e.g., related to MD diagnosis and treatment response). Functional MRI data from 107 participants (63 female, 44 male) were collected at baseline, 2, and 8 weeks during which patients received pharmacotherapy (escitalopram, N = 68) and controls (N = 39) received no intervention. The unique contributions of different sources of variation were examined by calculating how much variance in functional connectivity was shared across all participants and sessions, within/across groups (patients vs controls, responders vs nonresponders, female vs male participants), recording sessions, and individuals. Individual differences and common connectivity across groups, sessions, and participants contributed most to the explained variance (>95% across analyses). Group differences related to MD diagnosis, treatment response, and biological sex made significant but small contributions (0.3-1.2%). High individual variation was present in cognitive control and attention areas, while low individual variation characterized primary sensorimotor regions. Group differences were much smaller than individual differences in the context of MD and its treatment. These results could be linked to the variable findings and difficulty translating research on MD to clinical practice. Future research should examine brain features with low and high individual variation in relation to psychiatric symptoms and treatment trajectories to explore the clinical relevance of the individual differences identified here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwen van der Wijk
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mojdeh Zamyadi
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Stefanie Hassel
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 14, Canada
| | - Stephen R Arnott
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Benicio N Frey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
- Mood Disorders Program and Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Sidney H Kennedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
- Centre for Depression and Suicide Studies, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Andrew D Davis
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Geoffrey B Hall
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Raymond W Lam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Roumen Milev
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and Providence Care Hospital, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Sagar Parikh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Claudio Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Providence Care, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Glenda M Macqueen
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 14, Canada
| | - Stephen C Strother
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Andrea B Protzner
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 14, Canada
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Abdi H, Mirani A, Jafari R. Quantitative assessment of traumatic brain injury risk in diverse age groups of females: Insights from computational biomechanics. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31123. [PMID: 38778953 PMCID: PMC11109875 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) stands as a multifaceted health concern, exhibiting varying influences across human population. This study delves into the biomechanical complexities of TBI within gender-specific contexts, focusing on females. Our primary objective is to investigate distinctive injury mechanisms and risks associated with females, emphasizing the imperative for tailored investigations within this cohort. By employing Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Analysis, we conducted simulations to quantify biomechanical responses to traumatic forces across diverse age groups of females. The study utilized a scaling technique to create finite element models (FEMs). The young female FEM, based on anthropometric data, showcased a 15 % smaller head geometry compared to the young male FEM. Moreover, while the elderly female FEM closely mirrored the young female FEM in most structural aspects, it showed distinctive features such as brain atrophy and increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer thickness. Notably, the child female FEM (ages 7-11 years) replicated around 95 % of the young female FEM's geometry. These structural distinctions meticulously captured age-specific variations across our modeled female age groups. It's noteworthy that identical conditions, encompassing impact intensity, loading type, and boundary conditions, were maintained across all FEMs in this biomechanical finite element analysis, ensuring comparative results. The findings unveiled significant variations in frontal and occipital pressures among diverse age groups, highlighting potential age-related discrepancies in TBI susceptibility among females. These variations were primarily linked to differences in anatomical features, including brain volume, CSF thickness, and brain condition, as the same material properties were used in the FEMs. These results were approximately 4.70, 6.33 and 6.43 % in frontal area of brain in diverse age groups of females (young, elderly, and child) respectively compared to young male FEM. Comparing the FEM results between the young female and the elderly female, we observed a decrease in occipital brain pressure at the same point, reducing from 171,993 to 167,793 Pa, marking an approximate 2.5 % decrease. While typically the elderly exhibit greater brain vulnerability compared to the young, our findings showcase a reduction in brain pressure. Notably, upon assessing the relative movement between the brain and the skull at the point located in occipital area, we observed greater relative movement in the elderly (1.8 mm) compared to the young female (1.04 mm). Therefore, brain atrophy increases the range of motion of the brain within the cranial space. The study underscores the critical necessity for nuanced TBI risk assessment tailored to age and gender, emphasizing the importance of age-specific protective strategies in managing TBIs across diverse demographics. Future research employing individual modeling techniques and exploring a wider age spectrum holds promise in refining our understanding of TBI mechanisms and adopting targeted approaches to mitigate TBI in diverse groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Abdi
- Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Clinical Sciences Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Mirani
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Clinical Sciences Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramezan Jafari
- Department of Radiology, Health Research Center, Life Style Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Matte Bon G, Kraft D, Comasco E, Derntl B, Kaufmann T. Modeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:42. [PMID: 38750598 PMCID: PMC11097569 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences exist in the prevalence and clinical manifestation of several mental disorders, suggesting that sex-specific brain phenotypes may play key roles. Previous research used machine learning models to classify sex from imaging data of the whole brain and studied the association of class probabilities with mental health, potentially overlooking regional specific characteristics. METHODS We here investigated if a regionally constrained model of brain volumetric imaging data may provide estimates that are more sensitive to mental health than whole brain-based estimates. Given its known role in emotional processing and mood disorders, we focused on the limbic system. Using two different cohorts of healthy subjects, the Human Connectome Project and the Queensland Twin IMaging, we investigated sex differences and heritability of brain volumes of limbic structures compared to non-limbic structures, and subsequently applied regionally constrained machine learning models trained solely on limbic or non-limbic features. To investigate the biological underpinnings of such models, we assessed the heritability of the obtained sex class probability estimates, and we investigated the association with major depression diagnosis in an independent clinical sample. All analyses were performed both with and without controlling for estimated total intracranial volume (eTIV). RESULTS Limbic structures show greater sex differences and are more heritable compared to non-limbic structures in both analyses, with and without eTIV control. Consequently, machine learning models performed well at classifying sex based solely on limbic structures and achieved performance as high as those on non-limbic or whole brain data, despite the much smaller number of features in the limbic system. The resulting class probabilities were heritable, suggesting potentially meaningful underlying biological information. Applied to an independent population with major depressive disorder, we found that depression is associated with male-female class probabilities, with largest effects obtained using the limbic model. This association was significant for models not controlling for eTIV whereas in those controlling for eTIV the associations did not pass significance correction. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results highlight the potential utility of regionally constrained models of brain sex to better understand the link between sex differences in the brain and mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Matte Bon
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Dominik Kraft
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Chen J, Bayanagari VL, Chung S, Wang Y, Lui YW. Deep learning with diffusion MRI as in vivo microscope reveals sex-related differences in human white matter microstructure. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9835. [PMID: 38744901 PMCID: PMC11094063 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60340-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological sex is a crucial variable in neuroscience studies where sex differences have been documented across cognitive functions and neuropsychiatric disorders. While gross statistical differences have been previously documented in macroscopic brain structure such as cortical thickness or region size, less is understood about sex-related cellular-level microstructural differences which could provide insight into brain health and disease. Studying these microstructural differences between men and women paves the way for understanding brain disorders and diseases that manifest differently in different sexes. Diffusion MRI is an important in vivo, non-invasive methodology that provides a window into brain tissue microstructure. Our study develops multiple end-to-end classification models that accurately estimates the sex of a subject using volumetric diffusion MRI data and uses these models to identify white matter regions that differ the most between men and women. 471 male and 560 female healthy subjects (age range, 22-37 years) from the Human Connectome Project are included. Fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity and mean kurtosis are used to capture brain tissue microstructure characteristics. Diffusion parametric maps are registered to a standard template to reduce bias that can arise from macroscopic anatomical differences like brain size and contour. This study employ three major model architectures: 2D convolutional neural networks, 3D convolutional neural networks and Vision Transformer (with self-supervised pretraining). Our results show that all 3 models achieve high sex classification performance (test AUC 0.92-0.98) across all diffusion metrics indicating definitive differences in white matter tissue microstructure between males and females. We further use complementary model architectures to inform about the pattern of detected microstructural differences and the influence of short-range versus long-range interactions. Occlusion analysis together with Wilcoxon signed-rank test is used to determine which white matter regions contribute most to sex classification. The results indicate that sex-related differences manifest in both local features as well as global features / longer-distance interactions of tissue microstructure. Our highly consistent findings across models provides new insight supporting differences between male and female brain cellular-level tissue organization particularly in the central white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junbo Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, 370 Jay Street, 9th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
| | - Vara Lakshmi Bayanagari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, 370 Jay Street, 9th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Sohae Chung
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, 370 Jay Street, 9th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Yvonne W Lui
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Song H, Tomasevich A, Paolini A, Browne KD, Wofford KL, Kelley B, Kantemneni E, Kennedy J, Qiu Y, Schneider ALC, Dolle JP, Cullen DK, Smith DH. Sex differences in the extent of acute axonal pathologies after experimental concussion. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:79. [PMID: 38705966 PMCID: PMC11070329 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02735-9] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Although human females appear be at a higher risk of concussion and suffer worse outcomes than males, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. With increasing recognition that damage to white matter axons is a key pathologic substrate of concussion, we used a clinically relevant swine model of concussion to explore potential sex differences in the extent of axonal pathologies. At 24 h post-injury, female swine displayed a greater number of swollen axonal profiles and more widespread loss of axonal sodium channels than males. Axon degeneration for both sexes appeared to be related to individual axon architecture, reflected by a selective loss of small caliber axons after concussion. However, female brains had a higher percentage of small caliber axons, leading to more extensive axon loss after injury compared to males. Accordingly, sexual dimorphism in axonal size is associated with more extensive axonal pathology in females after concussion, which may contribute to worse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Song
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alexandra Tomasevich
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Andrew Paolini
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kevin D Browne
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration and Restoration, Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kathryn L Wofford
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration and Restoration, Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Brian Kelley
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Eashwar Kantemneni
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Justin Kennedy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yue Qiu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Andrea L C Schneider
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Dolle
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - D Kacy Cullen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration and Restoration, Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Douglas H Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, 3320 Smith Walk, 105 Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Zhao S, Sang F, Liu C, Wang F, Liu J, Chen C, Wang J, Li X, Zhang Z. Age-related enhancement of the association between episodic memory and gray matter volume in medial temporal and frontal lobes. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:10. [PMID: 38702688 PMCID: PMC11069137 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00237-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Episodic memory (EM) deteriorates as a result of normal aging as well as Alzheimer's disease. The neural underpinnings of such age-related memory impairments in older individuals are not well-understood. Although previous research has unveiled the association between gray matter volume (GMV) and EM in the elderly population, such findings exhibit variances across distinct age cohorts. Consequently, an investigation into the dynamic evolution of this relationship with advancing age is imperative. RESULT The present study utilized a sliding window approach to examine how the correlation between EM and GMV varied with age in a cross-sectional sample of 926 Chinese older adults. We found that both verbal EM (VEM) and spatial EM (SEM) exhibited positive correlations with GMV in extensive areas primarily in the temporal and frontal lobes and that these correlations typically became stronger with older age. Moreover, there were variations in the strength of the correlation between EM and GMV with age, which differed based on sex and the specific type of EM. Specifically, the association between VEM and GMVs in the insula and parietal regions became stronger with age for females but not for males, whereas the association between SEM and GMVs in the parietal and occipital regions became stronger for males but not for females. At the brain system level, there is a significant age-related increase in the correlations between both types of EM and the GMV of both the anterior temporal (AT) system and the posterior medial (PM) system in male group. In females, both types of EM show stronger age-related correlations with the GMV of the AT system compared to males. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed a significant positive correlation between GMV in most regions associated with EM and age, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes. This discovery offers new insights into the connection between brain structure and the diminishing episodic memory function among older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaokun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Feng Sang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Fei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jiawen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Zhanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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Fletcher EKS, Burma JS, Javra RM, Friesen KB, Emery CA, Dunn JF, Smirl JD. Maximizing the Reliability and Precision of Measures of Prefrontal Cortical Oxygenation Using Frequency-Domain Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2630. [PMID: 38676247 PMCID: PMC11054207 DOI: 10.3390/s24082630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS) has been used for non-invasive assessment of cortical oxygenation since the late 1990s. However, there is limited research demonstrating clinical validity and general reproducibility. To address this limitation, recording duration for adequate validity and within- and between-day reproducibility of prefrontal cortical oxygenation was evaluated. To assess validity, a reverse analysis of 10-min-long measurements (n = 52) at different recording durations (1-10-min) was quantified via coefficients of variation and Bland-Altman plots. To assess within- and between-day within-subject reproducibility, participants (n = 15) completed 2-min measurements twice a day (morning/afternoon) for five consecutive days. While 1-min recordings demonstrated sufficient validity for the assessment of oxygen saturation (StO2) and total hemoglobin concentration (THb), recordings ≥4 min revealed greater clinical utility for oxy- (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) concentration. Females had lower StO2, THb, HbO, and HHb values than males, but variability was approximately equal between sexes. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.50-0.96. The minimal detectable change for StO2 was 1.15% (95% CI: 0.336-1.96%) and 3.12 µM for THb (95% CI: 0.915-5.33 µM) for females and 2.75% (95%CI: 0.807-4.70%) for StO2 and 5.51 µM (95%CI: 1.62-9.42 µM) for THb in males. Overall, FD-NIRS demonstrated good levels of between-day reliability. These findings support the application of FD-NIRS in field-based settings and indicate a recording duration of 1 min allows for valid measures; however, data recordings of ≥4 min are recommended when feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. S. Fletcher
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (R.M.J.); (K.B.F.); (C.A.E.); (J.D.S.)
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Joel S. Burma
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (R.M.J.); (K.B.F.); (C.A.E.); (J.D.S.)
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Raelyn M. Javra
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (R.M.J.); (K.B.F.); (C.A.E.); (J.D.S.)
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Kenzie B. Friesen
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (R.M.J.); (K.B.F.); (C.A.E.); (J.D.S.)
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Carolyn A. Emery
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (R.M.J.); (K.B.F.); (C.A.E.); (J.D.S.)
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jeff F. Dunn
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jonathan D. Smirl
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; (R.M.J.); (K.B.F.); (C.A.E.); (J.D.S.)
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Integrated Concussion Research Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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Wróbel D, Wrona P, Homa T, Jakobschy K, Wrona G, Sawczyńska K, Giełczyński M, Popiela T, Słowik A, Turaj W. Sex Alters the Effect of Perfusion Deficits on Functional Outcome in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy. Cerebrovasc Dis 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38631293 DOI: 10.1159/000538633] [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: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The discourse surrounding differences in cerebral hemodynamics and clinical outcomes among male and female patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains unresolved. We aimed to elucidate these differences by employing computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging before MT and examining the influence of perfusion deficits on the 90-day functional outcome. METHODS This single-center retrospective analysis involved patients with anterior circulation AIS treated with MT at the Comprehensive Stroke Center, University Hospital, Krakow, from January 2019 to July 2023. We compared male and female patients in terms of baseline characteristics, CTP deficits, hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR, defined as T10max/T6max), and complications. The endpoints included the 90-day excellent functional outcome, defined as modified Rankin Score <2, and the 90-day mortality rate. RESULTS We included 794 patients, of whom 408 were female (51.4%). Female patients had a smaller early infarct volume (median [interquartile range]: 7 mL [0-24.8] vs. 10 mL [0-33], p = 0.004), smaller penumbra volume (77.5 mL [46-117] vs. 99.5 mL [59.8-140], p < 0.001), lower HIR (0.34 [0.16-0.5] vs. 0.37 [0.2-9.53], p = 0.043) and were less likely to achieve an excellent functional outcome (55.6% vs. 66.1%, p = 0.003). For every 10 mL increase in early infarct volume, the odds for achieving an excellent outcome were lower in females (odds ratio [OR]: 0.82 [95% confidence interval: 0.73-0.92]) compared to males (OR: 0.96 [0.88-1.04]), whereas the risk of death was higher for females (OR: 1.25 [1.13-1.39] than for males (OR: 1.05 [0.98-1.14]). DISCUSSION Despite more favorable cerebral hemodynamic profile, female AIS patients have worse outcomes than their male counterparts. This effect seems to be independently mediated by the more pronounced impact of early infarct volume on the prognosis in female patients. These findings underscore the possible explanatory power arising from sex-specific interpretation of early infarct volume in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Wróbel
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Student Scientific Group in Cerebrovascular Diseases, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paweł Wrona
- Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Homa
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Klaudia Jakobschy
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Student Scientific Group in Cerebrovascular Diseases, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Sawczyńska
- Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Mateusz Giełczyński
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Student Scientific Group in Cerebrovascular Diseases, Krakow, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Popiela
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Radiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Słowik
- Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wojciech Turaj
- Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland
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Saha R, Saha DK, Fu Z, Duda M, Silva RF, Calhoun VD. Analysis of Longitudinal Change Patterns in Developing Brain Using Functional and Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging via Multimodal Fusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.07.588473. [PMID: 38645216 PMCID: PMC11030394 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.07.588473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI and sMRI) are complementary approaches that can be used to study longitudinal brain changes in adolescents. Each individual modality offers distinct insights into the brain. Each individual modality may overlook crucial aspects of brain analysis. By combining them, we can uncover hidden brain connections and gain a more comprehensive understanding. In previous work, we identified multivariate patterns of change in whole-brain function during adolescence. In this work, we focus on linking functional change patterns (FCPs) to brain structure. We introduce two approaches and applied them to data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset. First, we evaluate voxelwise sMRI-FCP coupling to identify structural patterns linked to our previously identified FCPs. Our approach revealed multiple interesting patterns in functional network connectivity (FNC) and gray matter volume (GMV) data that were linked to subject level variation. FCP components 2 and 4 exhibit extensive associations between their loadings and voxel-wise GMV data. Secondly, we leveraged a symmetric multimodal fusion technique called multiset canonical correlation analysis (mCCA) + joint independent component analysis (jICA). Using this approach, we identify structured FCPs such as one showing increased connectivity between visual and sensorimotor domains and decreased connectivity between sensorimotor and cognitive control domains, linked to structural change patterns (SCPs) including alterations in the bilateral sensorimotor cortex. Interestingly, females exhibit stronger coupling between brain functional and structural changes than males, highlighting sex-related differences. The combined results from both asymmetric and symmetric multimodal fusion methods underscore the intricate sex-specific nuances in neural dynamics. By utilizing two complementary multimodal approaches, our study enhances our understanding of the dynamic nature of brain connectivity and structure during the adolescent period, shedding light on the nuanced processes underlying adolescent brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rekha Saha
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Debbrata K. Saha
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Zening Fu
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Marlena Duda
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Rogers F. Silva
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University 55 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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Yuan D, Tournis E, Ryan ME, Lai CM, Geng X, Young NM, Wong PCM. Early-stage use of hearing aids preserves auditory cortical structure in children with sensorineural hearing loss. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae145. [PMID: 38610087 PMCID: PMC11021813 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae145] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hearing is critical to spoken language, cognitive, and social development. Little is known about how early auditory experiences impact the brain structure of children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. This study examined the influence of hearing aid use and residual hearing on the auditory cortex of children with severe to profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss. We evaluated cortical preservation in 103 young pediatric cochlear implant candidates (55 females and 48 males) by comparing their multivoxel pattern similarity of auditory cortical structure with that of 78 age-matched children with typical hearing. The results demonstrated that early-stage hearing aid use preserved the auditory cortex of children with bilateral congenital sensorineural hearing loss. Children with less residual hearing experienced a more pronounced advantage from hearing aid use. However, this beneficial effect gradually diminished after 17 months of hearing aid use. These findings support timely fitting of hearing aids in conjunction with early implantation to take advantage of neural preservation to maximize auditory and spoken language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yuan
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3F, Sino Building Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Elizabeth Tournis
- Department of Audiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Maura E Ryan
- Department of Medical Imaging, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
- Department of Medical Imaging, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 N. St. Clair St,Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Ching Man Lai
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiujuan Geng
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Nancy M Young
- Division of Otolaryngology, Ann and Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 676 N St. Clair St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
- Knowles Hearing Center, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208-3540, United States
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, G/F, Leung Kau Kui Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
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Fernández A, Cuesta P, Marcos A, Montenegro-Peña M, Yus M, Rodríguez-Rojo IC, Bruña R, Maestú F, López ME. Sex differences in the progression to Alzheimer's disease: a combination of functional and structural markers. GeroScience 2024; 46:2619-2640. [PMID: 38105400 PMCID: PMC10828170 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-01020-z] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been frequently interpreted as a transitional phase between healthy cognitive aging and dementia, particularly of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) type. Of note, few studies explored that transition from a multifactorial perspective, taking into consideration the effect of basic factors such as biological sex. In the present study 96 subjects with MCI (37 males and 59 females) were followed-up and divided into two subgroups according to their clinical outcome: "progressive" MCI (pMCI = 41), if they fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for AD at the end of follow-up; and "stable" MCI (sMCI = 55), if they remained with the initial diagnosis. Different markers were combined to characterize sex differences between groups, including magnetoencephalography recordings, cognitive performance, and brain volumes derived from magnetic resonance imaging. Results indicated that the pMCI group exhibited higher low-frequency activity, lower scores in neuropsychological tests and reduced brain volumes than the sMCI group, being these measures significantly correlated. When sex was considered, results revealed that this pattern was mainly due to the influence of the females' sample. Overall, females exhibited lower cognitive scores and reduced brain volumes. More interestingly, females in the pMCI group showed an increased theta activity that correlated with a more abrupt reduction of cognitive and volumetric scores as compared with females in the sMCI group and with males in the pMCI group. These findings suggest that females' brains might be more vulnerable to the effects of AD pathology, since regardless of age, they showed signs of more pronounced deterioration than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Fernández
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Cuesta
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Marcos
- Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Neurology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Montenegro-Peña
- Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Madrid Salud, Madrid City Council, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Yus
- Radiology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Concepción Rodríguez-Rojo
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Nursing and Psysiotherapy, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Bruña
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Eugenia López
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
- Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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McKenna BS, Anthenelli RM, Schuckit MA. Sex differences in alcohol's effects on fronto-amygdalar functional connectivity during processing of emotional stimuli. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:612-622. [PMID: 38379361 PMCID: PMC11015979 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amygdala function underlying emotion processing has been shown to vary with an individuals' biological sex. Expanding upon functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) findings reported previously where a low level of response was the focus, we examined alcohol and sex effects on functional connectivity between the amygdala and other brain regions. The central hypothesis predicted that sex would influence alcohol's effects on frontal-limbic functional circuits underlying the processing of negative and positive facial emotions. METHODS Secondary analyses were conducted on data from a double-blind, placebo controlled, within-subjects, cross-over study in 54 sex-matched pairs (N = 108) of 18- to 25-year-old individuals without an alcohol use disorder at baseline. Participants performed an emotional faces fMRI processing task after placebo or approximately 0.7 mL/kg of ethanol. Psychophysiological interaction analyses examined functional connectivity between the amygdala with other brain regions. RESULTS There were significant alcohol-by-sex interactions when processing negatively valenced faces. Whereas intoxicated men exhibited decreased functional connectivity between the amygdala and ventral and dorsal anterior cingulate, angular gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus connectivity was increased in intoxicated women. There was also a main sex effect where women exhibited less functional connectivity in the middle insula than men regardless of whether they received alcohol or placebo. For happy faces, main effects of both sex and alcohol were observed. Women exhibited less amygdala functional connectivity in the right inferior frontal gyrus than men. Both men and women exhibited greater functional connectivity in the superior frontal gyrus in response to alcohol than placebo. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol's effects on amygdala functional circuits that underlying emotional processing vary by sex. Women had higher functional connectivity than men following exposure to a moderate dose of alcohol which could indicate that women are better than men at processing affectively laden stimuli when intoxicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S McKenna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Robert M Anthenelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marc A Schuckit
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, La Jolla, California, USA
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36
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Torgerson C, Ahmadi H, Choupan J, Fan CC, Blosnich JR, Herting MM. Sex, gender diversity, and brain structure in early adolescence. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26671. [PMID: 38590252 PMCID: PMC11002534 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26671] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
There remains little consensus about the relationship between sex and brain structure, particularly in early adolescence. Moreover, few pediatric neuroimaging studies have analyzed both sex and gender as variables of interest-many of which included small sample sizes and relied on binary definitions of gender. The current study examined gender diversity with a continuous felt-gender score and categorized sex based on X and Y allele frequency in a large sample of children ages 9-11 years old (N = 7195). Then, a statistical model-building approach was employed to determine whether gender diversity and sex independently or jointly relate to brain morphology, including subcortical volume, cortical thickness, gyrification, and white matter microstructure. Additional sensitivity analyses found that male versus female differences in gyrification and white matter were largely accounted for by total brain volume, rather than sex per se. The model with sex, but not gender diversity, was the best-fitting model in 60.1% of gray matter regions and 61.9% of white matter regions after adjusting for brain volume. The proportion of variance accounted for by sex was negligible to small in all cases. While models including felt-gender explained a greater amount of variance in a few regions, the felt-gender score alone was not a significant predictor on its own for any white or gray matter regions examined. Overall, these findings demonstrate that at ages 9-11 years old, sex accounts for a small proportion of variance in brain structure, while gender diversity is not directly associated with neurostructural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carinna Torgerson
- Department of Population and Public Health SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jeiran Choupan
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chun Chieh Fan
- Center for Population Neuroscience and GeneticsLaureate Institute for Brain ResearchTulsaOklahomaUSA
- Department of Radiology, School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - John R. Blosnich
- Suzanne Dworak‐Peck School of Social WorkUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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Lazzarini G, Gatta A, Miragliotta V, Vaglini F, Viaggi C, Pirone A. Glial cells are affected more than interneurons by the loss of Engrailed 2 gene in the mouse cerebellum. J Anat 2024; 244:667-675. [PMID: 38009365 PMCID: PMC10941518 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13982] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glial cells play a pivotal role in the inflammatory processes, which are common features of several neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Their major role in modulating neuroinflammation underscores their significance in these conditions. Engrailed-2 knockout mice (En2-/- ) are considered a valuable model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to their distinctive neuroanatomical and behavioral traits. Given the higher prevalence of ASD in males, our objective was to investigate glial and interneuron alterations in the cerebellum of En2-/- mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice in both sexes. We employed immunohistochemical analysis to assess cell density for all cell types studied and analyzed the area (A) and shape factor (SF) of microglia cell bodies. Our findings revealed the following: (a) In WT mice, the density of microglia and astrocytes was higher in females than in males, while interneuron density was lower in females. Notably, in En2-mutant mice, these differences between males and females were not present. (b) In both male and female En2-/- mice, astrocyte density exceeded that in WT mice, with microglia density being greater only in females. (c) In WT females, microglia cell bodies exhibited a larger area and a lower shape factor compared to WT males. Remarkably, the En2 mutation did not appear to influence these sex-related differences. (d) In both male and female En2-/- mice, we observed a consistent pattern: microglia cell bodies displayed a larger area and a smaller shape factor. Given the ongoing debate surrounding the roles of glia and sex-related factors in ASD, our observations provide valuable insights into understanding how an ASD-associated gene En2 affects specific cell types in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Francesca Vaglini
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical TechnologiesUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
| | - Cristina Viaggi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical TechnologiesUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
| | - Andrea Pirone
- Department of Veterinary SciencesUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
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Cichocki AC, Zinbarg RE, Craske MG, Chat IKY, Young KS, Bookheimer SY, Nusslock R. Transdiagnostic symptom of depression and anxiety associated with reduced gray matter volume in prefrontal cortex. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 339:111791. [PMID: 38359709 PMCID: PMC10938645 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Dimensional models of psychopathology may provide insight into mechanisms underlying comorbid depression and anxiety and improve specificity and sensitivity of neuroanatomical findings. The present study is the first to examine neural structure alterations using the empirically derived Tri-level Model. Depression and anxiety symptoms of 269 young adults were assessed using the Tri-level Model dimensions: General Distress (transdiagnostic depression and anxiety symptoms), Anhedonia-Apprehension (relatively specific depression symptoms), and Fears (specific anxiety symptoms). Using structural MRI, gray matter volumes were extracted for emotion generation (amygdala, nucleus accumbens) and regulation (orbitofrontal, ventrolateral, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) regions, often implicated in depression and anxiety. Each Tri-level symptom was regressed onto each region of interest, separately, adjusting for relevant covariates. General Distress was significantly associated with smaller gray matter volumes in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, independent of Anhedonia-Apprehension and Fears symptom dimensions. These results suggests that prefrontal alterations are associated with transdiagnostic dysphoric mood common across depression and anxiety, rather than unique symptoms of these disorders. Additionally, no regions of interest were associated with Anhedonia-Apprehension or Fears, highlighting the importance of studying transdiagnostic features of depression and anxiety. This has implications for understanding mechanisms of and interventions for depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Cichocki
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States.
| | - Richard E Zinbarg
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States; The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Michelle G Craske
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Iris K-Y Chat
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States
| | - Katherine S Young
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States
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Anger JT, Case LK, Baranowski AP, Berger A, Craft RM, Damitz LA, Gabriel R, Harrison T, Kaptein K, Lee S, Murphy AZ, Said E, Smith SA, Thomas DA, Valdés Hernández MDC, Trasvina V, Wesselmann U, Yaksh TL. Pain mechanisms in the transgender individual: a review. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2024; 5:1241015. [PMID: 38601924 PMCID: PMC11004280 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1241015] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Specific Aim Provide an overview of the literature addressing major areas pertinent to pain in transgender persons and to identify areas of primary relevance for future research. Methods A team of scholars that have previously published on different areas of related research met periodically though zoom conferencing between April 2021 and February 2023 to discuss relevant literature with the goal of providing an overview on the incidence, phenotype, and mechanisms of pain in transgender patients. Review sections were written after gathering information from systematic literature searches of published or publicly available electronic literature to be compiled for publication as part of a topical series on gender and pain in the Frontiers in Pain Research. Results While transgender individuals represent a significant and increasingly visible component of the population, many researchers and clinicians are not well informed about the diversity in gender identity, physiology, hormonal status, and gender-affirming medical procedures utilized by transgender and other gender diverse patients. Transgender and cisgender people present with many of the same medical concerns, but research and treatment of these medical needs must reflect an appreciation of how differences in sex, gender, gender-affirming medical procedures, and minoritized status impact pain. Conclusions While significant advances have occurred in our appreciation of pain, the review indicates the need to support more targeted research on treatment and prevention of pain in transgender individuals. This is particularly relevant both for gender-affirming medical interventions and related medical care. Of particular importance is the need for large long-term follow-up studies to ascertain best practices for such procedures. A multi-disciplinary approach with personalized interventions is of particular importance to move forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T. Anger
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Laura K. Case
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Andrew P. Baranowski
- Pelvic Pain Medicine and Neuromodulation, University College Hospital Foundation Trust, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ardin Berger
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Rebecca M. Craft
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Lyn Ann Damitz
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Rodney Gabriel
- Division of Regional Anesthesia, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tracy Harrison
- Department of OB/GYN & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kirsten Kaptein
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Sanghee Lee
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Anne Z. Murphy
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Engy Said
- Division of Regional Anesthesia, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Stacey Abigail Smith
- Division of Infection Disease, The Hope Clinic of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David A. Thomas
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Maria del C. Valdés Hernández
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Trasvina
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ursula Wesselmann
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine/Division of Pain Medicine, Neurology and Psychology, and Consortium for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Tony L. Yaksh
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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40
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Vosberg DE. Sex and Gender in Population Neuroscience. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38509404 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
To understand psychiatric and neurological disorders and the structural and functional properties of the human brain, it is essential to consider the roles of sex and gender. In this chapter, I first define sex and gender and describe studies of sex differences in non-human animals. In humans, I describe the sex differences in behavioral and clinical phenotypes and neuroimaging-derived phenotypes, including whole-brain measures, regional subcortical and cortical measures, and structural and functional connectivity. Although structural whole-brain sex differences are large, regional effects (adjusting for whole-brain volumes) are typically much smaller and often fail to replicate. Nevertheless, while an individual neuroimaging feature may have a small effect size, aggregating them in a "maleness/femaleness" score or machine learning multivariate paradigm may prove to be predictive and informative of sex- and gender-related traits. Finally, I conclude by summarizing emerging investigations of gender norms and gender identity and provide methodological recommendations to incorporate sex and gender in population neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Vosberg
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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41
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Luckhoff HK, Smit R, Phahladira L, du Plessis, Emsley R, Asmal L. Sex versus gender associations with brain structure. J Clin Neurosci 2024; 122:103-109. [PMID: 38493700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.03.009] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
In contrast to sex (a biological distinction), little is known about the associations between gender (a societal construct) and brain structure in the general population. In response to this knowledge gap, we examined the associations of sex vs. gender with FreeSurfer-generated cortical thickness and proportion-adjusted subcortical brain volume regions-of-interest (ROIs) in healthy adults (n = 88) screened for general medical conditions, mental illness, substance abuse, and intracranial pathologies. Gender role endorsement was assessed using the well-established and validated Bem Sex Role Inventory. For our main objectives, we calculated a continuum score as a composite measure of gender. For our secondary objectives, we examined sex-specific associations of the masculine vs. feminine gender role endorsement domains with brain structural outcomes. We found that female sex, independent of continuum scores, was associated with larger proportion-adjusted volumes for the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and ventral diencephalon. Higher continuum scores, independent of sex, were associated with thicker cortical thickness for the left and right superior frontal cortex, caudal and rostral middle frontal cortex, and right pars orbitalis. Female sex and higher continuum scores were independently associated with larger corpus callosum volumes. Post-hoc testing showed sex-specific associations between higher femininity scores and thicker prefrontal cortical thickness for the ROIs in females, but not in males. In conclusion, sex and gender showed semi-independent associations with brain structure in a general population sample. Our research supports the disaggregation of sex and gender to provide a more nuanced perspective on brain structural differences between men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- H K Luckhoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - R Smit
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Phahladira
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - du Plessis
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - R Emsley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Asmal
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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42
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Guma E, Beauchamp A, Liu S, Levitis E, Ellegood J, Pham L, Mars RB, Raznahan A, Lerch JP. Comparative neuroimaging of sex differences in human and mouse brain anatomy. eLife 2024; 13:RP92200. [PMID: 38488854 PMCID: PMC10942785 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92200] [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] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In vivo neuroimaging studies have established several reproducible volumetric sex differences in the human brain, but the causes of such differences are hard to parse. While mouse models are useful for understanding the cellular and mechanistic bases of sex-specific brain development, there have been no attempts to formally compare human and mouse neuroanatomical sex differences to ascertain how well they translate. Addressing this question would shed critical light on the use of the mouse as a translational model for sex differences in the human brain and provide insights into the degree to which sex differences in brain volume are conserved across mammals. Here, we use structural magnetic resonance imaging to conduct the first comparative neuroimaging study of sex-specific neuroanatomy of the human and mouse brain. In line with previous findings, we observe that in humans, males have significantly larger and more variable total brain volume; these sex differences are not mirrored in mice. After controlling for total brain volume, we observe modest cross-species congruence in the volumetric effect size of sex across 60 homologous regions (r=0.30). This cross-species congruence is greater in the cortex (r=0.33) than non-cortex (r=0.16). By incorporating regional measures of gene expression in both species, we reveal that cortical regions with greater cross-species congruence in volumetric sex differences also show greater cross-species congruence in the expression profile of 2835 homologous genes. This phenomenon differentiates primary sensory regions with high congruence of sex effects and gene expression from limbic cortices where congruence in both these features was weaker between species. These findings help identify aspects of sex-biased brain anatomy present in mice that are retained, lost, or inverted in humans. More broadly, our work provides an empirical basis for targeting mechanistic studies of sex-specific brain development in mice to brain regions that best echo sex-specific brain development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Guma
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Antoine Beauchamp
- Mouse Imaging CentreTorontoCanada
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Elizabeth Levitis
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging CentreTorontoCanada
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
| | - Linh Pham
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical 15 Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical 15 Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging CentreTorontoCanada
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical 15 Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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43
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Sang F, Zhao S, Li Z, Yang Y, Chen Y, Zhang Z. Cortical thickness reveals sex differences in verbal and visuospatial memory. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae067. [PMID: 38451300 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae067] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have reported the sex differences in behavior/cognition and the brain, the sex difference in the relationship between memory abilities and the underlying neural basis in the aging process remains unclear. In this study, we used a machine learning model to estimate the association between cortical thickness and verbal/visuospatial memory in females and males and then explored the sex difference of these associations based on a community-elderly cohort (n = 1153, age ranged from 50.42 to 86.67 years). We validated that females outperformed males in verbal memory, while males outperformed females in visuospatial memory. The key regions related to verbal memory in females include the medial temporal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and some regions around the insula. Further, those regions are more located in limbic, dorsal attention, and default-model networks, and are associated with face recognition and perception. The key regions related to visuospatial memory include the lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and some occipital regions. They overlapped more with dorsal attention, frontoparietal and visual networks, and were associated with object recognition. These findings imply the memory performance advantage of females and males might be related to the different memory processing tendencies and their associated network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Sang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shaokun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zilin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yiru Yang
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yaojing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Mehta S, Chahal A, Malik S, Rai RH, Malhotra N, Vajrala KR, Sidiq M, Sharma A, Sharma N, Kashoo FZ. Understanding Female and Male Insights in Psychology: Who Thinks What? J Lifestyle Med 2024; 14:1-5. [PMID: 38665321 PMCID: PMC11039442 DOI: 10.15280/jlm.2024.14.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary psychology is the study of human psychological behavior. During childhood, men and women behave similarly; however, as a child approaches puberty, new physical and behavioral changes emerge. Behavioral psychology focuses on understanding the functioning and thought processes of the human mind. The general population lacks knowledge of basic behavioral differences between men and women, leaving them unaware of their role, limitations, societal responsibilities, resulting in an underestimation of their own natural talents and biology. Thus, people tend to follow societal norms rather than exploring and utilizing their natural talents. The current review was designed and conducted to enforce compression on behavioral psychology in both genders as well as to identify variations in hormonal activity and sexual preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Mehta
- Dukhbhanjni Charitable Polyclinic, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Sewa Society, Haryana, India
| | - Aksh Chahal
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Galgotias University Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shikha Malik
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Galgotias University Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Richa Hirendra Rai
- School of Physiotherapy, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU) Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, India
| | - Nitesh Malhotra
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Krishna Reddy Vajrala
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Galgotias University Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mohammad Sidiq
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Galgotias University Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Department of Physiotherapy, Arogyam Institute of Paramedical and Allied Sciences (Affiliated to H.N.B. Uttarakhand Medical Education University), Uttarakhand, India
| | - Nidhi Sharma
- Department of Health Science, Uttaranchal College of Health Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Faizan Zaffar Kashoo
- Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
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45
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Ryali S, Zhang Y, de los Angeles C, Supekar K, Menon V. Deep learning models reveal replicable, generalizable, and behaviorally relevant sex differences in human functional brain organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310012121. [PMID: 38377194 PMCID: PMC10907309 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310012121] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex plays a crucial role in human brain development, aging, and the manifestation of psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, our understanding of sex differences in human functional brain organization and their behavioral consequences has been hindered by inconsistent findings and a lack of replication. Here, we address these challenges using a spatiotemporal deep neural network (stDNN) model to uncover latent functional brain dynamics that distinguish male and female brains. Our stDNN model accurately differentiated male and female brains, demonstrating consistently high cross-validation accuracy (>90%), replicability, and generalizability across multisession data from the same individuals and three independent cohorts (N ~ 1,500 young adults aged 20 to 35). Explainable AI (XAI) analysis revealed that brain features associated with the default mode network, striatum, and limbic network consistently exhibited significant sex differences (effect sizes > 1.5) across sessions and independent cohorts. Furthermore, XAI-derived brain features accurately predicted sex-specific cognitive profiles, a finding that was also independently replicated. Our results demonstrate that sex differences in functional brain dynamics are not only highly replicable and generalizable but also behaviorally relevant, challenging the notion of a continuum in male-female brain organization. Our findings underscore the crucial role of sex as a biological determinant in human brain organization, have significant implications for developing personalized sex-specific biomarkers in psychiatric and neurological disorders, and provide innovative AI-based computational tools for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanth Ryali
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Carlo de los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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Geleta U, Prajapati P, Bachstetter A, Nelson PT, Wang WX. Sex-Biased Expression and Response of microRNAs in Neurological Diseases and Neurotrauma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2648. [PMID: 38473893 PMCID: PMC10931569 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052648] [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: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurological diseases and neurotrauma manifest significant sex differences in prevalence, progression, outcome, and therapeutic responses. Genetic predisposition, sex hormones, inflammation, and environmental exposures are among many physiological and pathological factors that impact the sex disparity in neurological diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a powerful class of gene expression regulator that are extensively involved in mediating biological pathways. Emerging evidence demonstrates that miRNAs play a crucial role in the sex dimorphism observed in various human diseases, including neurological diseases. Understanding the sex differences in miRNA expression and response is believed to have important implications for assessing the risk of neurological disease, defining therapeutic intervention strategies, and advancing both basic research and clinical investigations. However, there is limited research exploring the extent to which miRNAs contribute to the sex disparities observed in various neurological diseases. Here, we review the current state of knowledge related to the sexual dimorphism in miRNAs in neurological diseases and neurotrauma research. We also discuss how sex chromosomes may contribute to the miRNA sexual dimorphism phenomenon. We attempt to emphasize the significance of sexual dimorphism in miRNA biology in human diseases and to advocate a gender/sex-balanced science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urim Geleta
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (U.G.); (P.P.); (A.B.); (P.T.N.)
| | - Paresh Prajapati
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (U.G.); (P.P.); (A.B.); (P.T.N.)
| | - Adam Bachstetter
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (U.G.); (P.P.); (A.B.); (P.T.N.)
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Peter T. Nelson
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (U.G.); (P.P.); (A.B.); (P.T.N.)
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Wang-Xia Wang
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (U.G.); (P.P.); (A.B.); (P.T.N.)
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
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47
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Lafta MS, Mwinyi J, Affatato O, Rukh G, Dang J, Andersson G, Schiöth HB. Exploring sex differences: insights into gene expression, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and pathology. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1340108. [PMID: 38449735 PMCID: PMC10915038 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1340108] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muataz S. Lafta
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oreste Affatato
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gull Rukh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Junhua Dang
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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48
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Ozsahin I, Zhou L, Wang X, Garetti J, Jamison K, Xi K, Tanzi E, Jaywant A, Patchell A, Maloney T, de Leon MJ, Kuceyeski A, Shah SA, Li Y, Butler TA. Diffusion Tensor Imaging Along Perivascular Spaces (DTI-ALPS) to Assess Effects of Age, Sex, and Head Size on Interstitial Fluid Dynamics in Healthy Subjects. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2024; 8:355-361. [PMID: 38405348 PMCID: PMC10894616 DOI: 10.3233/adr-230143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging along perivascular spaces (DTI-ALPS) is a novel MRI method for assessing brain interstitial fluid dynamics, potentially indexing glymphatic function. Failed glymphatic clearance is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. We assessed the contribution of age and female sex (strong AD risk factors) to DTI-ALPS index in healthy subjects. We also for the first time assessed the effect of head size. In accord with prior studies, we show reduced DTI-ALPS index with aging, and in men compared to women. However, head size may be a major contributing factor to this counterintuitive sex difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilker Ozsahin
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Operational Research Center in Healthcare, Near East University, Nicosia/TRNC, Turkey
| | - Liangdong Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiuyuan Wang
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacob Garetti
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Keith Jamison
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ke Xi
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily Tanzi
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Abhishek Jaywant
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Abigail Patchell
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Maloney
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mony J. de Leon
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy Kuceyeski
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sudhin A. Shah
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tracy A. Butler
- Department of Radiology, Brain Health Imaging Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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49
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Eliot L. Remembering the null hypothesis when searching for brain sex differences. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:14. [PMID: 38336816 PMCID: PMC10854110 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00585-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human brain sex differences have fascinated scholars for centuries and become a key focus of neuroscientists since the dawn of MRI. We recently published a major review in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews showing that most male-female brain differences in humans are small and few have been reliably replicated. Although widely cited, this work was the target of a critical Commentary by DeCasien et al. (Biol Sex Differ 13:43, 2022). In this response, I update our findings and confirm the small effect sizes and pronounced scatter across recent large neuroimaging studies of human sex/gender difference. Based on the sum of data, neuroscientists would be well-advised to take the null hypothesis seriously: that men and women's brains are fundamentally similar, or "monomorphic". This perspective has important implications for how we study the genesis of behavioral and neuropsychiatric gender disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Eliot
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, North Chicago, IL, USA.
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50
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Chrissicopoulos C, Mavrovounis G, Piagkou M, Triantafyllou G, Nasis N, Stranjalis G, Andreou A, Kalamatianos T. The Anatomical Variation of the Distal Anterior Cerebral Artery: An Angiographic Study in a Greek Population Sample. Cureus 2024; 16:e54800. [PMID: 38529447 PMCID: PMC10961669 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54800] [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] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective The current retrospective angiographic study establishes the rates of variants in the distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) in a sample of the Greek population. Methods Data were collected from 456 patients who underwent two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the carotid and vertebral arteries bilaterally. The study focused on patients with good visualization of the anterior and posterior circulations and employed magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography (CT) angiography for 3D reconstruction. The anterior cerebral artery (ACA) was classified into one of its two basic configurations, that is, with or without the callosomarginal artery (CMA). The bihemispheric, median, and azygos ACA patterns were also identified. Results The majority (373/456, 81.8%) exhibited a typical DACA pattern. The bihemispheric, median, and azygos patterns were identified in 66/456 (14.5%), 10/456 (2.2%), and 7/456 (1.5%), respectively. The CMA was present in 824/912 (90.4%) of the hemispheres, with a trend toward male predominance for bilateral presence (males: 167/192, 86.98%; females: 210/264, 79.55%; p = 0.05). In particular, the CMA was present significantly more frequently (p = 0.002) in the left hemispheres of male patients. Gender differences in CMA presence persisted in the analysis of the patients with a typical DACA pattern. Conclusion This study provides insights into the variations of the DACA in the Greek population. The observed gender differences in CMA rates suggest potential morphological variations in cerebral vasculature between males and females and contribute to a better understanding of vascular anatomy for clinical and surgical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Piagkou
- Anatomy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC
| | | | - Nikolaos Nasis
- Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, GRC
| | - George Stranjalis
- Neurosurgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC
| | - Alexander Andreou
- Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, GRC
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