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Hirnstein M, Stuebs J, Moè A, Hausmann M. Sex/Gender Differences in Verbal Fluency and Verbal-Episodic Memory: A Meta-Analysis. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:67-90. [PMID: 35867343 PMCID: PMC9896545 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221082116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Women are thought to fare better in verbal abilities, especially in verbal-fluency and verbal-memory tasks. However, the last meta-analysis on sex/gender differences in verbal fluency dates from 1988. Although verbal memory has only recently been investigated meta-analytically, a comprehensive meta-analysis is lacking that focuses on verbal memory as it is typically assessed, for example, in neuropsychological settings. On the basis of 496 effect sizes and 355,173 participants, in the current meta-analysis, we found that women/girls outperformed men/boys in phonemic fluency (ds = 0.12-0.13) but not in semantic fluency (ds = 0.01-0.02), for which the sex/gender difference appeared to be category-dependent. Women/girls also outperformed men/boys in recall (d = 0.28) and recognition (ds = 0.12-0.17). Although effect sizes are small, the female advantage was relatively stable over the past 50 years and across lifetime. Published articles reported stronger female advantages than unpublished studies, and first authors reported better performance for members of their own sex/gender. We conclude that a small female advantage in phonemic fluency, recall, and recognition exists and is partly subject to publication bias. Considerable variance suggests further contributing factors, such as participants' language and country/region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Hirnstein
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
| | - Josephine Stuebs
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
- Department of Neuropsychology and
Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University
- Institute of Clinical Medicine,
University of Oslo
| | - Angelica Moè
- Department of General Psychology,
University of Padua
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2
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Sex differences in cognitive processing: An integrative review of electrophysiological findings. Biol Psychol 2022; 172:108370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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3
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Wang H, Burles F, Subramaniapillai S, Pasvanis S, Rajah MN, Protzner AB. Sex differences in the relationship between age, performance, and BOLD signal variability during spatial context memory processing. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 118:77-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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4
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Subramaniapillai S, Rajagopal S, Ankudowich E, Pasvanis S, Misic B, Rajah MN. Age- and Episodic Memory-related Differences in Task-based Functional Connectivity in Women and Men. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1500-1520. [PMID: 35579987 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with episodic memory decline and changes in functional brain connectivity. Understanding whether and how biological sex influences age- and memory performance-related functional connectivity has important theoretical implications for the cognitive neuroscience of memory and aging. Here, we scanned 161 healthy adults between 19 and 76 years of age in an event-related fMRI study of face-location spatial context memory. Adults were scanned while performing easy and difficult versions of the task at both encoding and retrieval. We used multivariate whole-brain partial least squares connectivity to test the hypothesis that there are sex differences in age- and episodic memory performance-related functional connectivity. We examined how individual differences in age and retrieval accuracy correlated with task-related connectivity. We then repeated this analysis after disaggregating the data by self-reported sex. We found that increased encoding and retrieval-related connectivity within the dorsal attention network (DAN), and between DAN and frontoparietal network and visual networks, were positively correlated to retrieval accuracy and negatively correlated with age in both sexes. We also observed sex differences in age- and performance-related functional connectivity: (a) Greater between-networks integration was apparent at both levels of task difficulty in women only, and (b) increased DAN-default mode network connectivity with age was observed in men and was correlated with poorer memory performance. Therefore, the neural correlates of age-related episodic memory decline differ in women and men and have important theoretical and clinical implications for the cognitive neuroscience of memory, aging, and dementia prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaniya Subramaniapillai
- McGill University, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
| | | | - Elizabeth Ankudowich
- McGill University, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
| | | | - Bratislav Misic
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
| | - M Natasha Rajah
- McGill University, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Quebéc, Canada
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5
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Ma ZY, Wu YY, Cui HYL, Yao GY, Bian H. Factors Influencing Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Clin Interv Aging 2022; 17:653-664. [PMID: 35520948 PMCID: PMC9063799 DOI: 10.2147/cia.s355242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and ischemic stroke, which are common diseases among older people, are closely related to cognitive impairment. This study aims to investigate the influencing factors of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in patients with T2DM. Methods We enrolled 161 patients with T2DM who experienced acute ischemic stroke and were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. Cognitive function was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale. According to the results, patients were divided into three groups-the cognitively normal group, mild cognitive impairment group, and severe cognitive impairment group. We analyzed general demographic data, laboratory information, imaging data, the results of neuropsychological evaluation, and clinical features as well as influencing factors of PSCI in these patients and established a prediction model. Results The three groups of patients were significantly different in terms of age, education level, course of diabetes mellitus (DM), recurrent cerebral infarction (RCI), and other factors. RCI, course of DM, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were independent risk factors of PSCI in patients with T2DM, with odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 7.17 (2.09, 30.37), 5.39 (2.40, 14.59), and 3.89 (1.66, 10.04), respectively, whereas female, senior high school, serum albumin were protective factors: 0.28 (0.07, 0.95), 0.05 (0.01, 0.21), 0.20 (0.08, 0.42), respectively. Furthermore, we constructed a prediction model using sex, age, education level, RCI, DM course, HbA1c and serum albumin and obtained a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The area under the ROC curve is 0.966, suggesting the significant association of these influencing factors with PSCI in patients with T2DM. Conclusion In this study, the occurrence of PSCI in patients with T2DM was related to RCI, course of DM, and HbA1c, among other factors. Attention to influencing factors is needed in these patients for early diagnosis and timely intervention of cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Yin Ma
- Department of Diagnostic, Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Ya Wu
- Department of Emergency Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Yin-Long Cui
- Department of Neurology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang-Yan Yao
- Department of Neurology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Bian
- Department of Neurology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Neurology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China
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6
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Kljajevic V. Verbal Learning and Hemispheric Asymmetry. Front Psychol 2022; 12:809192. [PMID: 35058865 PMCID: PMC8765474 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.809192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Kljajevic
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Exploring the sex and gender correlates of cognitive sex differences. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 221:103452. [PMID: 34801881 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The correlates of cognitive sex differences are yet to be fully understood. Many biological and psychosocial factors modulate these cognitive abilities leading to mixed results in the scientific literature. The current study aims to explore the different parameters potentially influencing cognitive abilities acting in synergy. Sex and gender correlates of cognitive functioning were assessed in a sample of individuals ages 18 to 45 years (N = 87) from diverse sexual orientations. Sex hormones were assessed via saliva samples at four timepoints throughout the testing. Gender roles, sexual orientation and socio-demographics were measured via self-report questionnaires. Participants completed mental rotation and verbal fluency tasks. Men performed better than women at mental rotation, while no significant difference was found for verbal fluency. Significant positive associations were observed between estradiol and word fluency for the naturally cycling women compared to the women using oral contraception. While controlling for sex hormones, a significant interaction effect of sex by gender roles was identified for mental rotation among masculine women. These exploratory results suggest an effect principally driven by sex and sex hormones on cognitive performance that will need to be furthered with larger studies.
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8
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Cole M, Murray K, St‐Onge E, Risk B, Zhong J, Schifitto G, Descoteaux M, Zhang Z. Surface-Based Connectivity Integration: An atlas-free approach to jointly study functional and structural connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3481-3499. [PMID: 33956380 PMCID: PMC8249904 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been increasing interest in jointly studying structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) derived from diffusion and functional MRI. Previous connectome integration studies almost exclusively required predefined atlases. However, there are many potential atlases to choose from and this choice heavily affects all subsequent analyses. To avoid such an arbitrary choice, we propose a novel atlas-free approach, named Surface-Based Connectivity Integration (SBCI), to more accurately study the relationships between SC and FC throughout the intra-cortical gray matter. SBCI represents both SC and FC in a continuous manner on the white surface, avoiding the need for prespecified atlases. The continuous SC is represented as a probability density function and is smoothed for better facilitation of its integration with FC. To infer the relationship between SC and FC, three novel sets of SC-FC coupling (SFC) measures are derived. Using data from the Human Connectome Project, we introduce the high-quality SFC measures produced by SBCI and demonstrate the use of these measures to study sex differences in a cohort of young adults. Compared with atlas-based methods, this atlas-free framework produces more reproducible SFC features and shows greater predictive power in distinguishing biological sex. This opens promising new directions for all connectomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Cole
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Kyle Murray
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Etienne St‐Onge
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory (SCIL)Université de SherbrookeQuébecCanada
| | - Benjamin Risk
- Department of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Jianhui Zhong
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
- Department of Imaging SciencesUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Giovanni Schifitto
- Department of Imaging SciencesUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory (SCIL)Université de SherbrookeQuébecCanada
| | - Zhengwu Zhang
- Department of Statistics and Operations ResearchUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
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9
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Abstract
Estrogen replacement therapy including specific estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) agonist, 4,4',4″-(4-propyl-[1H] pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) trisphenol (PPT), improves cognitive function in the females with estrogen insufficiency condition. It is well suggested that the cyclic nucleotides are considered as one of the downstream mediators to ERα receptor activity and they can be hypothesized as a potential target in the management of estrogen insufficiency condition. Roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, increases the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in most of the tissues including the brain, and is reported to have procognitive activity in the experimental animals. Hence, the present study evaluated the therapeutic effect of roflumilast with or without PPT in rats with experimentally-induced estrogen insufficiency. Estrogen insufficiency was induced in female rats through bilateral ovariectomy on day-1 (D-1) of the experimental schedule. Roflumilast (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg; p.o.) and PPT (333µg/kg; i.p.) attenuated ovariectomy-induced cognitive deficits in the rodents during behavioral tests. Roflumilast and PPT increased the cholinergic function and cAMP level in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Further, ovariectomy-induced decrease in the extent of phosphorylation of ERα in both the brain regions was attenuated with the monotherapy of either roflumilast or PPT. Interestingly, the combination of 1.0 mg/kg roflumilast and PPT exhibited better therapeutic effectiveness than their monotherapy. In addition, roflumilast facilitated PPT-induced increase in the level of expression of phosphorylated protein kinase-B (Akt) in both the rat brain regions. Hence, it can be assumed that the combination of roflumilast and PPT could be a therapeutic option in the management of estrogen insufficiency-induced disorders.
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10
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Rabipour S, Rajagopal S, Pasvanis S, Rajah MN. Generalization of memory-related brain function in asymptomatic older women with a family history of late onset Alzheimer's Disease: Results from the PREVENT-AD Cohort. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 104:42-56. [PMID: 33964608 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) disproportionately affects women compared to men. Episodic memory decline is one of the earliest and most pronounced deficits observed in AD. However, it remains unclear whether sex influences episodic memory-related brain function in cognitively intact older adults at risk of developing AD. Here we used task-based multivariate partial least squares analysis to examine sex differences in episodic memory-related brain activity and brain activity-behavior correlations in a matched sample of cognitively intact older women and men with a family history of AD from the PREVENT-AD cohort study in Montreal, Canada (Mage=63.03±3.78; Meducation=15.41±3.40). We observed sex differences in task-related brain activity and brain activity-behavior correlations during the encoding of object-location associative memories and object-only item memory, and the retrieval of object only item memories. Our findings suggest a generalization of episodic memory-related brain activation and performance in women compared to men. Follow up analyses should test for sex differences in the relationship between brain activity patterns and performance longitudinally, in association with risk factors for AD development. This article is part of the Virtual Special Issue titled COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF HEALTHY AND PATHOLOGICAL AGING. The full issue can be found on ScienceDirect at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/neurobiology-of-aging/special-issue/105379XPWJP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheida Rabipour
- Centre for Cerebral Imaging, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Stamatoula Pasvanis
- Centre for Cerebral Imaging, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - M Natasha Rajah
- Centre for Cerebral Imaging, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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11
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Nyberg L, Boraxbekk CJ, Sörman DE, Hansson P, Herlitz A, Kauppi K, Ljungberg JK, Lövheim H, Lundquist A, Adolfsson AN, Oudin A, Pudas S, Rönnlund M, Stiernstedt M, Sundström A, Adolfsson R. Biological and environmental predictors of heterogeneity in neurocognitive ageing: Evidence from Betula and other longitudinal studies. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 64:101184. [PMID: 32992046 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in cognitive performance increase with advancing age, reflecting marked cognitive changes in some individuals along with little or no change in others. Genetic and lifestyle factors are assumed to influence cognitive performance in ageing by affecting the magnitude and extent of age-related brain changes (i.e., brain maintenance or atrophy), as well as the ability to recruit compensatory processes. The purpose of this review is to present findings from the Betula study and other longitudinal studies, with a focus on clarifying the role of key biological and environmental factors assumed to underlie individual differences in brain and cognitive ageing. We discuss the vital importance of sampling, analytic methods, consideration of non-ignorable dropout, and related issues for valid conclusions on factors that influence healthy neurocognitive ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark; Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen (ISMC), Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Eriksson Sörman
- Department of Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Patrik Hansson
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agneta Herlitz
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica K Ljungberg
- Department of Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Hugo Lövheim
- Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Statistics, USBE, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Anna Oudin
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Environment Society and Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University
| | - Sara Pudas
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mikael Stiernstedt
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Sundström
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research (CEDAR), Umeå University, Umeå, S-90187, Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
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12
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Goyal A, Garabadu D. Vinpocetine facilitates the anti-amnesic activity of estrogen-receptor alpha agonist in bilateral ovariectomy-challenged animals. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112789. [PMID: 32593544 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The fluctuation in plasma estrogen level influences the cognitive function in the females. The specific estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) agonist, (4,4',4″-(4-propyl-[1 H] pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) tris phenol (PPT), is reported to exhibit therapeutic activity similar to that of estrogen replacement therapy. However, the former can also exert cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent carcinogenic activity in the uterus of the ovariectomized animals. Moreover, there is no report of cGMP on ERα-mediated phosphorylation of Akt in the experimental condition. Vinpocetine increases the rate of formation of cGMP than cAMP in several tissues. Hence, the present study evaluated the neuroprotective effect of vinpocetine with or without PPT against ovariectomy-induced dementia in experimental rodents. The condition of estrogen insufficiency was induced in female rats through bilateral ovariectomy on day-1 (D-1) of the experimental schedule. Vinpocetine (20 mg/kg) and PPT attenuated ovariectomy-induced cognitive deficits in behavioral tests and increase in body weight in the rodents. Vinpocetine and PPT increased the cholinergic function and the ratio of cGMP/cAMP in the hippocampus, pre-frontal cortex and amygdala of the ovariectomized animals. Further, ovariectomy-induced decrease in the extent of phosphorylation of ERα in all brain regions was attenuated with the monotherapy of either vinpocetine or PPT. Interestingly, the combination of vinpocetine and PPT exhibited better effectiveness than their monotherapy. However, vinpocetine attenuated the PPT-induced increased level of phosphorylated Akt in discrete brain regions and weight of uterus of these rodents. Hence, the combination could be considered as a better alternative candidate with minimal side effects in the management of estrogen insufficiency-induced disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahsas Goyal
- Division of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Debapriya Garabadu
- Division of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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13
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Conner MR, Adeyemi OM, Anderson BJ, Kritzer MF. Domain-specific contributions of biological sex and sex hormones to what, where and when components of episodic-like memory in adult rats. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2705-2723. [PMID: 31943448 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory involves the integration and recall of discrete events that include information about what happened, where it happened and when it occurred. Episodic memory function is critical to daily life, and its dysfunction is both a first identifiable indicator and an enduring core feature of cognitive decline in ageing and in neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Available evidence from human studies suggests that biological sex and sex hormones modulate episodic memory function in health and disease. However, knowledge of how this occurs is constrained by the limited availability and underutilization of validated animal models in investigating hormone impacts on episodic-like memory function. Here, adult female, adult male and gonadally manipulated adult male rats were tested on the what-where-when episodic-like memory task to determine whether rats model human sex differences in episodic memory and how the hormonal milieu impacts episodic-like memory processes in this species. These studies revealed salient ways in which rats model human sex differences in episodic memory, including a male advantage in spatial episodic memory performance. They also identified domain-specific roles for oestrogens and androgens in modulating what, where and when discriminations in male rats that were unlike those engaged in corresponding novel object recognition and novel object location tasks. These studies thus identify rats and the what-where-when task as suitable for investigating the neuroendocrine bases of episodic-like memory, and provide new information about the unique contributions that sex and sex hormones make to this complex mnemonic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan R Conner
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Brenda J Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Mary F Kritzer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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14
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Subramaniapillai S, Rajagopal S, Elshiekh A, Pasvanis S, Ankudowich E, Rajah MN. Sex Differences in the Neural Correlates of Spatial Context Memory Decline in Healthy Aging. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 31:1895-1916. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with episodic memory decline and alterations in memory-related brain function. However, it remains unclear if age-related memory decline is associated with similar patterns of brain aging in women and men. In the current task fMRI study, we tested the hypothesis that there are sex differences in the effect of age and memory performance on brain activity during episodic encoding and retrieval of face–location associations (spatial context memory). Forty-one women and 41 men between the ages of 21 and 76 years participated in this study. Between-group multivariate partial least squares analysis of the fMRI data was conducted to directly test for sex differences and similarities in age-related and performance-related patterns of brain activity. Our behavioral analysis indicated no significant sex differences in retrieval accuracy on the fMRI tasks. In relation to performance effects, we observed similarities and differences in how retrieval accuracy related to brain activity in women and men. Both sexes activated dorsal and lateral PFC, inferior parietal cortex, and left parahippocampal gyrus at encoding, and this supported subsequent memory performance. However, there were sex differences in retrieval activity in these same regions and in lateral occipital-temporal and ventrolateral PFC. In relation to age effects, we observed sex differences in the effect of age on memory-related activity within PFC, inferior parietal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and lateral occipital-temporal cortices. Overall, our findings suggest that the neural correlates of age-related spatial context memory decline differ in women compared with men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - M. Natasha Rajah
- McGill University
- Brain Imaging Centre, Douglas Institute Research Centre, Verdun, QC, Canada
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15
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Gender Differences in Familiar Face Recognition and the Influence of Sociocultural Gender Inequality. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17884. [PMID: 31784547 PMCID: PMC6884510 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54074-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Are gender differences in face recognition influenced by familiarity and socio-cultural factors? Previous studies have reported gender differences in processing unfamiliar faces, consistently finding a female advantage and a female own-gender bias. However, researchers have recently highlighted that unfamiliar faces are processed less efficiently than familiar faces, which have more robust, invariant representations. To-date, no study has examined whether gender differences exist for familiar face recognition. The current study addressed this by using a famous faces task in a large, web-based sample of > 2000 participants across different countries. We also sought to examine if differences varied by socio-cultural gender equality within countries. When examining raw accuracy as well when controlling for fame, the results demonstrated that there were no participant gender differences in overall famous face accuracy, in contrast to studies of unfamiliar faces. There was also a consistent own-gender bias in male but not female participants. In countries with low gender equality, including the USA, females showed significantly better recognition of famous female faces compared to male participants, whereas this difference was abolished in high gender equality countries. Together, this suggests that gender differences in recognizing unfamiliar faces can be attenuated when there is enough face learning and that sociocultural gender equality can drive gender differences in familiar face recognition.
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Goyal A, Garabadu D. Sildenafil promotes the anti-amnesic activity of estrogen receptor alpha agonist in animals with estrogen insufficiency. Neurochem Int 2019; 132:104609. [PMID: 31778728 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2019.104609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The cognitive function in the females is observed to modulate with the fluctuation in plasma estrogen level. The specific estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) agonist, (4,4',4″-(4-propyl-[1H] pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) tris phenol (PPT), exerts similar therapeutic activity to that of estrogen replacement therapy. It can also exert cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent carcinogenic activity in the uterus of the ovariectomized animals. However, there is no report of cGMP on the ERα-mediated phosphorylation of Akt in the experimental condition. Sildenafil increases the level of cGMP in most of the tissues including brain. Hence, the present study evaluated the therapeutic effect of Sildenafil with or without PPT in rats with experimentally-induced estrogen insufficiency. The condition of estrogen insufficiency was induced in female rats through bilateral ovariectomy on day-1 (D-1) of the experimental schedule. Sildenafil (1.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) and PPT attenuated ovariectomy-induced cognitive deficits in behavioural tests and increase in body weight in the rodents. Sildenafil and PPT increased the cholinergic function and the ratio of cGMP/cAMP in the hippocampus, pre-frontal cortex and amygdala of the animals. Further, the ovariectomy-induced decrease in the extent of phosphorylation of ERα in all the brain regions was attenuated with the monotherapy of either Sildenafil or PPT. Interestingly, the combination of Sildenafil and PPT exhibited better therapeutic effectiveness than their monotherapy. However, Sildenafil attenuated the PPT-induced increase in the level of expression of phosphorylated protein kinase-B (Akt) in the discrete brain regions and the weight of uterus of these rodents. Hence, it can be assumed that the combination could be a better therapeutic alternative with minimal side effect in the management of estrogen insufficiency-induced disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahsas Goyal
- Division of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Debapriya Garabadu
- Division of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Hillerer KM, Slattery DA, Pletzer B. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in stress-related disorders: Effects of neuroactive steroids on the hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100796. [PMID: 31580837 PMCID: PMC7115954 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their vulnerability to a variety of stress-related illnesses, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood. This is likely due to a comparative dearth of neurobiological studies that assess male and female rodents at the same time, while human neuroimaging studies often don't model sex as a variable of interest. These sex differences are often attributed to the actions of sex hormones, i.e. estrogens, progestogens and androgens. In this review, we summarize the results on sex hormone actions in the hippocampus and seek to bridge the gap between animal models and findings in humans. However, while effects of sex hormones on the hippocampus are largely consistent in animals and humans, methodological differences challenge the comparability of animal and human studies on stress effects. We summarise our current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sex-related differences in behavior and discuss implications for stress-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Clinical Research Center Salzburg (CRCS), Salzburg, Austria.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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18
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Hajali V, Andersen ML, Negah SS, Sheibani V. Sex differences in sleep and sleep loss-induced cognitive deficits: The influence of gonadal hormones. Horm Behav 2019; 108:50-61. [PMID: 30597139 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Revised: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Males and females can respond differentially to the same environmental stimuli and experimental conditions. Chronic sleep loss is a frequent and growing problem in many modern societies and has a broad variety of negative outcomes for health and well-being. While much has been done to explore the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on cognition in both human and animal studies over the last few decades, very little attention has been paid to the part played by sex differences and gonadal steroids in respect of changes in cognitive functions caused by sleep loss. The effects of gonadal hormones on sleep regulation and cognitive performances are well established. Reduced gonadal function in menopausal women and elderly men is associated with sleep disturbances and cognitive decline as well as dementia, which suggests that sex steroids play a key role in modulating these conditions. Finding out whether there are sex differences in respect of the effect of insufficient sleep on cognition, and how neuroendocrine mediators influence cognitive impairment induced by SD could provide valuable insights into the best therapies for each sex. In this review, we aim to highlight the involvement of sex differences and gonadal hormone status on the severity of cognitive deficits induced by sleep deficiency in both human and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Hajali
- Department of Neuroscience, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Monica L Andersen
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, Brazil
| | - Sajad Sahab Negah
- Department of Neuroscience, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Esposito FL, Supèr H. Eye vergence responses to novel and familiar stimuli in young children. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2019; 193:190-196. [PMID: 30654274 PMCID: PMC6365649 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye vergence is the slow movement of both eyes in opposite directions enabling binocular vision. Recently, it was suggested that vergence could be involved in orienting visual attention and memory having a role in cognitive processing of sensory information. In the present study, we assessed whether such vergence responses are observed in early childhood. We measured eye vergence responses in 43 children (12-37 months of age) while looking at novel and repeated object images. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that visual attention and Visual Short-Term Memory (VSMT) would be evidenced by differential vergence responses for both experimental conditions, i.e. repeated (familiar) vs. novel items. The results show that attention related vergence is present in early childhood and that responses to repeated images differ from the ones to novel items. Our current findings suggest that vergence mechanisms could be linking visual attention with short-term memory recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia L Esposito
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hans Supèr
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Braingaze SL, Mataró, Spain; Neuroscience Institute, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Loprinzi PD, Frith E. The Role of Sex in Memory Function: Considerations and Recommendations in the Context of Exercise. J Clin Med 2018; 7:jcm7060132. [PMID: 29857518 PMCID: PMC6028920 DOI: 10.3390/jcm7060132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
There is evidence to suggest that biological sex plays a critical role in memory function, with sex differentially influencing memory type. In this review, we detail the current evidence evaluating sex-specific effects on various memory types. We also discuss potential mechanisms that explain these sex-specific effects, which include sex differences in neuroanatomy, neurochemical differences, biological differences, and cognitive and affect-related differences. Central to this review, we also highlight that, despite the established sex differences in memory, there is little work directly comparing whether males and females have a differential exercise-induced effect on memory function. As discussed herein, such a differential effect is plausible given the clear sex-specific effects on memory, exercise response, and molecular mediators of memory. We emphasize that future work should be carefully powered to detect sex differences. Future research should also examine these potential exercise-related sex-specific effects for various memory types and exercise intensities and modalities. This will help enhance our understanding of whether sex indeed moderates the effects of exercise and memory function, and as such, will improve our understanding of whether sex-specific, memory-enhancing interventions should be developed, implemented, and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Loprinzi
- Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Emily Frith
- Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA.
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Berger J, Oltmanns F, Holtkamp M, Bengner T. Sex differences in verbal and nonverbal learning before and after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. Epilepsy Behav 2017; 66:57-63. [PMID: 28033547 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Women outperform men in a host of episodic memory tasks, yet the neuroanatomical basis for this effect is unclear. It has been suggested that the anterior temporal lobe might be especially relevant for sex differences in memory. In the current study, we investigated whether temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has an influence on sex effects in learning and memory and whether women and men with TLE differ in their risk for memory deficits after epilepsy surgery. 177 patients (53 women and 41 men with left TLE, 42 women and 41 men with right TLE) were neuropsychologically tested before and one year after temporal lobe resection. We found that women with TLE had better verbal, but not figural, memory than men with TLE. The female advantage in verbal memory was not affected by temporal lobe resection. The same pattern of results was found in a more homogeneous subsample of 84 patients with only hippocampal sclerosis who were seizure-free after surgery. Our findings challenge the concept that the anterior temporal lobe plays a central role in the verbal memory advantage for women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Berger
- Epilepsy-Center Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Martin Holtkamp
- Epilepsy-Center Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany; Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
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22
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Osmanovic-Barilar J, Salkovic-Petrisi M. Evaluating the Role of Hormone Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Alzheimer’s Disease. Drugs Aging 2016; 33:787-808. [DOI: 10.1007/s40266-016-0407-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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23
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Banović M, Chrysochou P, Grunert KG, Rosa PJ, Gamito P. The effect of fat content on visual attention and choice of red meat and differences across gender. Food Qual Prefer 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Lamb YN, McKay NS, Singh SS, Waldie KE, Kirk IJ. Catechol-O-methyltransferase val(158)met Polymorphism Interacts with Sex to Affect Face Recognition Ability. Front Psychol 2016; 7:965. [PMID: 27445927 PMCID: PMC4921451 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met polymorphism affects the breakdown of synaptic dopamine. Consequently, this polymorphism has been associated with a variety of neurophysiological and behavioral outcomes. Some of the effects have been found to be sex-specific and it appears estrogen may act to down-regulate the activity of the COMT enzyme. The dopaminergic system has been implicated in face recognition, a form of cognition for which a female advantage has typically been reported. This study aimed to investigate potential joint effects of sex and COMT genotype on face recognition. A sample of 142 university students was genotyped and assessed using the Faces I subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale - Third Edition (WMS-III). A significant two-way interaction between sex and COMT genotype on face recognition performance was found. Of the male participants, COMT val homozygotes and heterozygotes had significantly lower scores than met homozygotes. Scores did not differ between genotypes for female participants. While male val homozygotes had significantly lower scores than female val homozygotes, no sex differences were observed in the heterozygotes and met homozygotes. This study contributes to the accumulating literature documenting sex-specific effects of the COMT polymorphism by demonstrating a COMT-sex interaction for face recognition, and is consistent with a role for dopamine in face recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette N Lamb
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nicole S McKay
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Shrimal S Singh
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ian J Kirk
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
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25
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Wilkosc M, Markowska A, Zajac-Lamparska L, Skibinska M, Szalkowska A, Araszkiewicz A. A Lack of Correlation between Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Serum Level and Verbal Memory Performance in Healthy Polish Population. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:39. [PMID: 27242447 PMCID: PMC4876124 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is considered to be connected with memory and learning through the processes of long term synaptic potentiation and synaptic plasticity. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between precursor BDNF (proBNDF) and mature BDNF (mBDNF) serum levels and performance on Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) in 150 healthy volunteers. In addition, we have verified the relationships between serum concentration of both forms of BDNF and RAVLT with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.We found no strong evidence for the correlation of proBDNF and mBDNF serum levels with performance on RAVLT in healthy Polish population in early and middle adulthood. We observed the mBDNF serum concentration to be higher in women compared with men. Moreover, we revealed higher mBDNF level to be connected with lower body mass index (BMI). In turn, the results of RAVLT correlated with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, such as: age, education, gender, BMI and smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Wilkosc
- Institute of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Anita Markowska
- Department of Psychiatry Nursing, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun, Poland
| | | | - Maria Skibinska
- Psychiatry Genetics Unit, Poznan University of Medical Sciences Poznan, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Szalkowska
- Department of Psychiatry, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun, Poland
| | - Aleksander Araszkiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun, Poland
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Karlsson S, Henningsson S, Hovey D, Zettergren A, Jonsson L, Cortes DS, Melke J, Laukka P, Fischer H, Westberg L. Social memory associated with estrogen receptor polymorphisms in women. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:877-83. [PMID: 26955855 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognize the identity of faces and voices is essential for social relationships. Although the heritability of social memory is high, knowledge about the contributing genes is sparse. Since sex differences and rodent studies support an influence of estrogens and androgens on social memory, polymorphisms in the estrogen and androgen receptor genes (ESR1, ESR2, AR) are candidates for this trait. Recognition of faces and vocal sounds, separately and combined, was investigated in 490 subjects, genotyped for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ESR1, four in ESR2 and one in the AR Four of the associations survived correction for multiple testing: women carrying rare alleles of the three ESR2 SNPs, rs928554, rs1271572 and rs1256030, in linkage disequilibrium with each other, displayed superior face recognition compared with non-carriers. Furthermore, the uncommon genotype of the ESR1 SNP rs2504063 was associated with better recognition of identity through vocal sounds, also specifically in women. This study demonstrates evidence for associations in women between face recognition and variation in ESR2, and recognition of identity through vocal sounds and variation in ESR1. These results suggest that estrogen receptors may regulate social memory function in humans, in line with what has previously been established in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Karlsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Susanne Henningsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel Hovey
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Zettergren
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, and
| | - Lina Jonsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Diana S Cortes
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Melke
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Petri Laukka
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Håkan Fischer
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Westberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,
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Fulton EK, Bulluck M, Hertzog C. Orienting to face expression during encoding improves men's recognition of own gender faces. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2015; 161:18-24. [PMID: 26295282 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It is unclear why women have superior episodic memory of faces, but the benefit may be partially the result of women engaging in superior processing of facial expressions. Therefore, we hypothesized that orienting instructions to attend to facial expression at encoding would significantly improve men's memory of faces and possibly reduce gender differences. We directed 203 college students (122 women) to study 120 faces under instructions to orient to either the person's gender or their emotional expression. They later took a recognition test of these faces by either judging whether they had previously studied the same person or that person with the exact same expression; the latter test evaluated recollection of specific facial details. Orienting to facial expressions during encoding significantly improved men's recognition of own-gender faces and eliminated the advantage that women had for male faces under gender orienting instructions. Although gender differences in spontaneous strategy use when orienting to faces cannot fully account for gender differences in face recognition, orienting men to facial expression during encoding is one way to significantly improve their episodic memory for male faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika K Fulton
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry St., Atlanta, GA 30332-0170, United States.
| | - Megan Bulluck
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry St., Atlanta, GA 30332-0170, United States.
| | - Christopher Hertzog
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry St., Atlanta, GA 30332-0170, United States.
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28
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Boss L, Kang DH, Bergstrom N, Leasure JL. Endogenous sex hormones and cognitive function in the elderly. Aging Clin Exp Res 2015; 27:515-21. [PMID: 25520242 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-014-0300-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estrogen and testosterone may influence cognitive function in the older adult, but the relationship between sex hormones and cognitive function is complex. AIM To examine associations of sex hormones and cognitive function among older adults ≥65 years old. METHODS Using a cross-sectional research design, data were collected once from 71 elderly (mean age 86.4 years). Global cognitive function and executive function were measured with standardized instruments, and saliva samples were collected for salivary estradiol and testosterone. RESULTS Estradiol was significantly and positively correlated with global cognitive function in men only (r = 0.54, p < 0.05). Testosterone was not significantly correlated with global cognitive function or executive function in either gender. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Associations between sex hormones and cognitive function were mostly non-significant. However, higher estradiol was significantly correlated with better global cognitive function in men, suggesting gender-specific differences. Along with sex hormones, other comorbidity may need to be assessed together in relation to cognitive function in the elderly. Accordingly, clinicians play an important role in educating and promoting beneficial actions to preserve cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Boss
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6901 Bertner, Houston, TX, 77030, USA,
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Kromrey SA, Czoty PW, Nader MA. Relationship between estradiol and progesterone concentrations and cognitive performance in normally cycling female cynomolgus monkeys. Horm Behav 2015; 72:12-9. [PMID: 25921587 PMCID: PMC4466063 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical research has demonstrated that cognitive function may be influenced by estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations, although few cognition studies involve normally cycling females. The present study examined cognitive performance in normally cycling female cynomolgus macaques (n = 14), a species with similarities to humans in brain organization and a nearly identical menstrual cycle to women. Initial assessments compared cognitive measures to circulating concentrations of E2 and P4 (n = 12). Once a relationship was characterized between hormones and cognitive performance, the menstrual cycle was divided into four distinct phases: early follicular (EF), late follicular (LF), early luteal (EL) and late luteal (LL), verified by the onset of menses and serum concentrations of E2 and P4. Concentrations of E2 were highest during the LF phase and P4 concentrations peaked during the EL phase. All monkeys were trained on two cognitive tasks: reversal learning, involving simple discrimination (SD) and reversal (SDR), which measured associative learning and behavioral flexibility, respectively (n = 3-4 per phase) and a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task which assessed working memory (n = 11). P4 concentrations were positively correlated with number of trials and errors during acquisition of SD performance, but not during acquisition of the SDR task or maintenance of the reversal-learning task. Across the menstrual cycle, significantly fewer errors were made in the SDR task during the LF phase, when E2 concentrations were high and P4 concentrations low. Working memory, assessed with the DMS task, was not consistently altered based on previously characterized menstrual cycle phases. These findings demonstrate a relationship between P4, E2 and cognitive performance in normally cycling cynomolgus monkeys that is task dependent. Knowledge of these interactions may lead to a better understanding of sex-specific cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Kromrey
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States
| | - Paul W Czoty
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States
| | - Michael A Nader
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States; Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, United States.
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30
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Castonguay N, Lussier M, Bugaiska A, Lord C, Bherer L. Executive functions in men and postmenopausal women. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2015; 37:193-208. [PMID: 25695230 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2014.1000267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study was designed to assess sex differences in older adults (55-65 years old) in executive functions and to examine the influence of hormone therapy (HT) in postmenopausal women. METHOD We have assessed task performance in memory, visuospatial, and executive functions in 29 women using HT, 29 women who never used HT, and 30 men. RESULTS Men outperformed never users in task switching and updating. HT users outperformed never users in updating. HT users outperformed never users and men in visual divided attention. DISCUSSION The present study support previous findings that sex and HT impact cognition and bring new insights on sex and HT-related differences in executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Castonguay
- a Department of Psychology , Université du Québec à Montréal , Montreal , QC , Canada
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31
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Pletzer B. Sex-specific strategy use and global-local processing: a perspective toward integrating sex differences in cognition. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:425. [PMID: 25565953 PMCID: PMC4273628 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the literature on sex-specific strategy use in cognitive tasks with the aim to carve out a link between sex differences in different cognitive tasks. I conclude that male strategies are commonly holistic and oriented toward global stimulus aspects, while female strategies are commonly decomposed and oriented toward local stimulus aspects. Thus, the strategies observed in different tasks, may depend on sex differences in attentional focus and hence sex differences in global-local processing. I hypothesize that strategy use may be sex hormone dependent and hence subject to change over the menstrual cycle as evidenced by findings in global-local processing and emotional memory. Furthermore, I propose sex hormonal modulation of hemispheric asymmetries as one possible neural substrate for this theory, thereby building on older theories, emphasizing the importance of sex differences in brain lateralization. The ideas described in the current article represent a perspective toward a unifying approach to the study of sex differences in cognition and their neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, Paris-Lodron-University SalzburgSalzburg, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University SalzburgSalzburg, Austria
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Bezdicek O, Libon DJ, Stepankova H, Panenkova E, Lukavsky J, Garrett KD, Lamar M, Price CC, Kopecek M. Development, validity, and normative data study for the 12-word Philadelphia Verbal Learning Test [czP(r)VLT-12] among older and very old Czech adults. Clin Neuropsychol 2014; 28:1162-81. [PMID: 25247611 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2014.952666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of a 12-word Czech version of the Philadelphia (repeatable) Verbal Learning Test [czP(r)VLT-12]. The construction of the czP(r)VLT-12 was modeled after the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the nine-word Philadelphia (repeatable) Verbal Learning Test [P(r)VLT]. The czP(r)VLT-12 was constructed from a large corpus of old (60-74) and very old (75-96) Czech adults (n = 540). Participants met strict inclusion criteria for the absence of any active or past neurodegenerative disorders and performed within normal limits on other neuropsychological measures. Principal component analysis (PCA) and correlations between czP(r)VLT-12 factor structure and other memory tests were conducted. The czP(r)VLT-12 produced a four-factor solution, accounting for 70.90% of variance, with factors related to: (1) recall, (2) extra-list intrusion errors/recognition foils, (3) interference, and (4) acquisition rate; a solution similar to the CVLT and P(r)VLT. Increasing age resulted in a decline in most czP(r)VLT-12 indices, women outperformed men, and higher education led to higher scores. Memory performance in normal aging did not correlate with instrumental activities of daily living. Low, but significant, correlations were seen with other tests of cognitive performance (divergent validity). Appendices are available that provide normed percentile estimates of individual czP(r)VLT-12 performance stratified by age, education, and gender. In accordance with previous studies, these results demonstrate the usefulness of czP(r)VLT-12 in assessing declarative memory in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Bezdicek
- a Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience , First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University in Prague , 128 21 Prague, Czech Republic
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Li R. Why women see differently from the way men see? A review of sex differences in cognition and sports. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2014; 3:155-162. [PMID: 25520851 PMCID: PMC4266559 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2014.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The differences of learning and memory between males and females have been well documented and confirmed by both human and animal studies. The sex differences in cognition started from early stage of neuronal development and last through entire life span. The major biological basis of the gender-dependent cognitive activity includes two major components: sex hormone and sex-related characteristics, such as sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) protein. However, the knowledge of how much biology of sex contributes to normal cognitive function and elite athletes in various sports are still pretty limited. In this review, we will be focusing on sex differences in spatial learning and memory - especially the role of male- and female-type cognitive behaviors in sports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Li
- Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
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34
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Handa RJ, McGivern RF. Steroid Hormones, Receptors, and Perceptual and Cognitive Sex Differences in the Visual System. Curr Eye Res 2014; 40:110-27. [DOI: 10.3109/02713683.2014.952826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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35
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Li R, Singh M. Sex differences in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:385-403. [PMID: 24434111 PMCID: PMC4087048 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown differences in specific cognitive ability domains and risk of Alzheimer's disease between the men and women at later age. However it is important to know that sex differences in cognitive function during adulthood may have their basis in both organizational effects, i.e., occurring as early as during the neuronal development period, as well as in activational effects, where the influence of the sex steroids influence brain function in adulthood. Further, the rate of cognitive decline with aging is also different between the sexes. Understanding the biology of sex differences in cognitive function will not only provide insight into Alzheimer's disease prevention, but also is integral to the development of personalized, gender-specific medicine. This review draws on epidemiological, translational, clinical, and basic science studies to assess the impact of sex differences in cognitive function from young to old, and examines the effects of sex hormone treatments on Alzheimer's disease in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Li
- Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education (CHASE), Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL 34243, United States.
| | - Meharvan Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Institute for Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research (IAADR), Center FOR HER, University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States
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36
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Speer P, Wersching H, Bruchmann S, Bracht D, Stehling C, Thielsch M, Knecht S, Lohmann H. Age- and gender-adjusted normative data for the German version of Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test from healthy subjects aged between 50 and 70 years. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2013; 36:32-42. [PMID: 24341534 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2013.863834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) is widely used to evaluate dysfunctional episodic memory. The current study aimed to provide extended age- and gender-specific norms for the German AVLT for individuals older than 50 years. In 690 subjects, a comprehensive medical examination including a structural 3.0-tesla magnetic resonance imaging scan was administered, as well as extensive neuropsychological tests. After controlling for exclusion criteria, 407 subjects were included in the analysis. AVLT performance decreased with age, and women outperformed men. We present age- and gender-specific normative data for the German AVLT from subjects aged between 50 and 70 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Speer
- a Department of Neurology , University Hospital Münster , Münster , Germany
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37
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Bezdicek O, Stepankova H, Moták L, Axelrod BN, Woodard JL, Preiss M, Nikolai T, Růžička E, Poreh A. Czech version of Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test: Normative data. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2013; 21:693-721. [DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2013.865699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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38
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Hogervorst E. Effects of gonadal hormones on cognitive behaviour in elderly men and women. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:1182-95. [PMID: 23895362 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Over the last four decades, animal and cell culture studies have shown that sex steroids can have protective effects on the ageing brain. Limited short-term positive effects (2-4 months) of oestrogen treatment were found in women without (as well as with) dementia. By contrast to these initial promising findings, several large treatment studies showed that longer-term oestrogen treatment, particularly when given in combination with progesterone, could exert negative effects on cognitive function in women aged over 65 years. Several observational studies of older women and men also suggest that longer exposure to higher endogenous oestrogen levels at an older age might confer risk for accelerated cognitive decline and dementia. However, health of participants may modify this association and, in women closer to the age at the onset of menopause, positive associations of oestrogens with cognition were also found. The 'healthy cell bias' theory suggests that oestrogens have protective effects in healthy neurones, although cells undergoing pathological change show acceleration in their demise when exposed to oestrogens. In older men, most studies reported higher bioavailable testosterone levels to be associated with better cognitive function. Other studies have reported optimal testosterone levels for better global cognitive function and a reduced risk of cognitive decline. Variation in health status over time and the use of (in)sensitive cognitive tests and hormone assays may explain why this was not always found. In older women, this association (of testosterone with cognition) is less clear. Small studies reported some benefits of testosterone treatment in combination with oestrogen on cognition, although these were of short duration. Several observational studies, on the other hand, found negative associations between high testosterone levels and worse cognitive function in older women. Age, health status, duration of treatment and sex may thus modify effects of longer-term elevated sex steroid levels on brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hogervorst
- Applied Cognitive Research Group, SSEHS, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
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39
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Boss L, Kang DH, Marcus M, Bergstrom N. Endogenous Sex Hormones and Cognitive Function in Older Adults. West J Nurs Res 2013; 36:388-426. [DOI: 10.1177/0193945913500566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen and testosterone may influence cognition in older adults, but the relationship between sex hormones and cognitive function is complex. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the role of sex hormones in cognitive function among older adults. A comprehensive, electronic review of literature was performed. Inclusion criteria were original quantitative research, written in English, used human subjects with a mean age of ≥60 years, and published from January 1997 through May 2012. Findings were mixed, although potential patterns were identified. Estradiol levels were potentially associated with benefits to episodic memory, semantic memory, verbal memory, and verbal learning in females only. The association between testosterone and cognitive function was mixed in both genders. Mixed findings may have been influenced by methodological differences and future studies should include research designs with ample rigor, sufficiently powered samples, consistent cognitive measurements, and clear descriptions of handling and storage of biological specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Boss
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA
| | - Duck-Hee Kang
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA
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40
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Hagsand A, Hjelmsäter ERA, Granhag PA, Fahlke C, Söderpalm-Gordh A. Bottled memories: on how alcohol affects eyewitness recall. Scand J Psychol 2013; 54:188-95. [PMID: 23384077 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated how different doses of alcohol affected eyewitness recall. Participants (N = 126) were randomly assigned to three groups with different blood alcohol concentration (BAC), either a control group (mean BAC 0.00%, N = 42), a lower alcohol dose group (mean BAC 0.04%, N = 40), or a higher alcohol dose group (mean BAC 0.06%, N = 44). After consumption, participants witnessed a movie of a mock crime and were interviewed one week later. The main results showed that witnesses with the higher intoxication level recalled fewer details compared to witnesses with the lower intoxication level. The amount of alcohol consumed did not have an impact on the accuracy rate. No sex differences were found. The results are discussed in the light of past research. We conclude that more studies are needed before recommendations can be made to an applied setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Hagsand
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Haraldsgatan 1, Gotherburg, Sweden.
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41
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Horgan TG, Stein JM, Southworth J, Swarbrick M. Gender Differences in Memory for What Others Say About Themselves and Their Family Members. JOURNAL OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2012. [DOI: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Do women have a recall advantage for what others say? And does it matter what type of information another person shares with them? Women’s greater interdependence in self-construal was predicted to give them an advantage over men in their memory for information shared about close others. In an experimental study, 124 undergraduate students (64 women and 60 men) from a Midwestern university in the United States watched either a videotaped male or female target discussing his or her lifestyle habits, health goals, and family. Participants then completed a surprise recognition test of their memory for what the target had said. Results show men were as accurate as women at remembering personal information shared by the targets, but women more accurately recalled what was said about the targets’ family members. The implications of these findings for various professional relationships are discussed.
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42
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Megreya AM, Bindemann M, Havard C. Sex differences in unfamiliar face identification: evidence from matching tasks. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2011; 137:83-9. [PMID: 21459354 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2010] [Revised: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 03/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on sex differences in face recognition has reported mixed results, on balance suggesting an advantage for female observers. However, it is not clear whether this advantage is specific to face processing or reflects a more general superiority effect in episodic memory. The current study therefore examined sex differences with a face-matching task that eliminates memory demands. Across two experiments, female but not male observers showed an own-sex advantage on match trials, in which two pictures have to be identified as the same person. This advantage was present for whole faces and when only the internal or external facial features were shown. Female observers were also more accurate in these three conditions on mismatch encounters, in which two photographs have to be identified as different people, but this reflects a more general effect that is present for male and female faces. These findings converge with claims of a female advantage in face recognition and demonstrate that this effect persists when memory demands are eliminated.
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43
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Effects of acute alcohol intoxication on verbal memory in young men as a function of time of day. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:91-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2010] [Revised: 10/08/2010] [Accepted: 10/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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44
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Bayliss AP, Tipper SP. Gaze and arrow cueing of attention reveals individual differences along the autism spectrum as a function of target context. Br J Psychol 2010; 96:95-114. [PMID: 15826326 DOI: 10.1348/000712604x15626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Observing averted gaze results in a reflexive shift of attention to the gazed-at location. In two experiments, participants scoring high and low on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient questionnaire (AQ; Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Skinner, Martin, & Clubley, 2001) observed arrow and gaze cues to investigate cueing effect magnitude as a function of the context in which peripheral targets could appear. While identical cueing effects were found with gaze and arrow cues, the more striking results concerned target stimuli. In Experiment 1, targets could appear on a peripheral face, or on scrambled face parts. Overall, greater cueing effects were found when the target appeared on a face. However, this face bias was only observed in participants with low AQ scores, whereas high AQ scorers oriented more to scrambled features. Experiment 2 found equal cueing to targets appearing on tools, as compared with tool parts. However, individual differences were again observed, where low AQ scorers showed larger cueing towards tools, while high scorers oriented more to scrambled parts, as in Experiment 1. These results support the idea that low AQ individuals orient strongly to objects attended by others. However, since the same results were found for arrow cues, this effect may generalize to all central cues to attention. High AQ scorers possessing many more autistic-like traits tended to orient more to scrambled shapes, perhaps reflecting a bias for orienting to local details.
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45
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Cazzato V, Basso D, Cutini S, Bisiacchi P. Gender differences in visuospatial planning: An eye movements study. Behav Brain Res 2010; 206:177-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2009] [Revised: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 09/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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46
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Beinhoff U, Tumani H, Riepe MW. Applying new research criteria for diagnosis of early Alzheimer's disease: sex and intelligence matter. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2009; 2009. [PMID: 20798761 PMCID: PMC2925096 DOI: 10.4061/2009/638145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2009] [Accepted: 07/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be diagnosed according to new research criteria proposed recently (Dubois et al., 2007). Diagnosis is made on grounds of episodic memory deficits and one pathological biomarker: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or structural/functional imaging. Goal was to investigate the dependence of episodic memory function on material (verbal, visuospatial), gender and premorbid intellectual ability (IQ). The new research criteria of AD were applied retrospectively using data of 68 patients (Mini-Mental-Status Examination, MMSE ≥ 22) from a university memory clinic. Women with lower IQ performed worse on visuospatial episodic memory than women with higher IQ and men with the same IQ. Thus, women with lower IQ appear to be particularly vulnerable to visuospatial episodic memory deficits despite similar CSF tau values indicating a similar activity of the neurodegenerative process. Gender, premorbid IQ, and visuospatial material need to be considered in the assessment of episodic memory breakdown applying the newly proposed research criteria for the diagnosis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Beinhoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Old Age Psychiatry, Charité Medical University, 14050 Berlin, Germany
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47
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Abstract
In essentially every domain of neuroscience, the generally implicit assumption that few, if any, meaningful differences exist between male and female brain function is being challenged. Here we address how this development is influencing studies of the neurobiology of learning and memory. While it has been commonly held that males show an advantage on spatial tasks, and females on verbal tasks, there is increasing evidence that sex differences are more widespread than previously supposed. Differing performance between the sexes have been observed on a number of common learning tasks in both the human and animal literature, many neither purely spatial nor verbal. We review sex differences reported in various areas to date, while attempting to identify common features of sexually dimorphic tasks, and to place these differences in a neurobiological context. This discussion focuses on studies of four classes of memory tasks for which sex differences have been frequently reported: spatial, verbal, autobiographical, and emotional memory. We conclude that the female verbal advantage extends into numerous tasks, including tests of spatial and autobiographical abilities, but that a small but significant advantage may exist for general episodic memory. We further suggest that for some tasks, stress evokes sex differences, which are not normally observed, and that these differences are mediated largely by interactions between stress and sex hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Andreano
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3800, USA
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48
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Abstract
Dramatic improvement in the survival of the HIV population has occurred with the ascendance of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). In the foreseeable future, HIV-infected women who acquired disease during the peak years of the epidemic are expected to survive to experience menopause and even years beyond. The HIV epidemic may be viewed as 'mature', as its earlier victims become part of the geriatric population. Research about the process of menopause in HIV-infected women and, conversely, about HIV infection in women undergoing menopause is currently limited. Existing research suggests that the process of menopause is affected by HIV infection, inasmuch as infected women appear to experience menopause at an earlier age, with greater symptomatology, and with different reproductive hormone profiles compared with HIV-uninfected women. HIV infection also appears to affect bone mineral density, cardiovascular disease and cognition, with some age-related interactions. Lifestyle and demographic factors have pervasive importance for both HIV infection and the menopause in women. This article reviews the current state of knowledge about the menopausal process in HIV-infected women, and the common conditions in postmenopausal women that are likely to be affected by HIV infection. Clinicians should appreciate the potential role of HIV infection in caring for menopause-aged women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D Fan
- Professor and Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertilty, Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Mazer 314, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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49
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McBain R, Norton D, Chen Y. Females excel at basic face perception. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2009; 130:168-73. [PMID: 19159861 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2008.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2008] [Revised: 12/05/2008] [Accepted: 12/09/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Females are generally better than males at recognizing facial emotions. However, it is not entirely clear whether and in what way females may also excel at non-affective face recognition. Here, we tested males and females on two perceptual face recognition tasks that involved only neutral expressions: detection and identity discrimination. On face detection (Experiment 1), females were significantly more accurate than males in detecting upright faces. This gender difference was reduced during inverted face detection, and not present during tree detection, suggesting that the magnitude of the gender difference for performance co-varies with the extent to which face processing mechanisms are involved. On facial identity discrimination (Experiment 2), females again outperformed males, particularly when face images were masked by visual noise, or the delay between comparison face images was extended from 0.5 to 3s. These results reveal a female advantage in processing face-specific information and underscore the role of perceptual factors in socially relevant gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan McBain
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Room G06, Centre Bldg., 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, United States
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50
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Konrad C, Engelien A, Schöning S, Zwitserlood P, Jansen A, Pletziger E, Beizai P, Kersting A, Ohrmann P, Luders E, Greb RR, Heindel W, Arolt V, Kugel H. The functional anatomy of semantic retrieval is influenced by gender, menstrual cycle, and sex hormones. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2008; 115:1327-37. [PMID: 18548194 PMCID: PMC2525845 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-008-0073-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2008] [Accepted: 05/17/2008] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the neurobiology of semantic retrieval and describes the influence of gender, menstrual cycle, and sex hormones on semantic networks. Healthy right-handed subjects (12 men, 12 women) were investigated with 3T-fMRI during synonym generation. Behavioral performance and sex hormone levels were assessed. Women were examined during the early follicular and midluteal cycle phase. The activation pattern in all groups involved left frontal and temporal as well as bilateral medial frontal, cingulate, occipital, basal ganglia, and cerebellar regions. Men showed greater left frontal activation than women in both menstrual cycle phases. Women yielded high correlations of left prefrontal activation with estradiol in the midluteal phase and with progesterone in both phases. Testosterone levels correlated highly with left prefrontal activation in all three groups. In all, we describe a cerebral network involved in semantic processing and demonstrate that it is significantly affected by gender and sex steroid hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Konrad
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str.11, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
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