1
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Luckhoff HK, Smit R, Phahladira L, du Plessis, Emsley R, Asmal L. Sex versus gender associations with brain structure. J Clin Neurosci 2024; 122:103-109. [PMID: 38493700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
In contrast to sex (a biological distinction), little is known about the associations between gender (a societal construct) and brain structure in the general population. In response to this knowledge gap, we examined the associations of sex vs. gender with FreeSurfer-generated cortical thickness and proportion-adjusted subcortical brain volume regions-of-interest (ROIs) in healthy adults (n = 88) screened for general medical conditions, mental illness, substance abuse, and intracranial pathologies. Gender role endorsement was assessed using the well-established and validated Bem Sex Role Inventory. For our main objectives, we calculated a continuum score as a composite measure of gender. For our secondary objectives, we examined sex-specific associations of the masculine vs. feminine gender role endorsement domains with brain structural outcomes. We found that female sex, independent of continuum scores, was associated with larger proportion-adjusted volumes for the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and ventral diencephalon. Higher continuum scores, independent of sex, were associated with thicker cortical thickness for the left and right superior frontal cortex, caudal and rostral middle frontal cortex, and right pars orbitalis. Female sex and higher continuum scores were independently associated with larger corpus callosum volumes. Post-hoc testing showed sex-specific associations between higher femininity scores and thicker prefrontal cortical thickness for the ROIs in females, but not in males. In conclusion, sex and gender showed semi-independent associations with brain structure in a general population sample. Our research supports the disaggregation of sex and gender to provide a more nuanced perspective on brain structural differences between men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- H K Luckhoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - R Smit
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Phahladira
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - du Plessis
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - R Emsley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Asmal
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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2
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Zhao Q, Zhao W, Lu C, Du H, Chi P. Interpersonal neural synchronization during social interactions in close relationships: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fNIRS hyperscanning studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 158:105565. [PMID: 38295965 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, researchers have used hyperscanning techniques to explore how brains interact during various human activities. These studies have revealed a phenomenon called interpersonal neural synchronization (INS), but little research has focused on the overall effect of INS in close relationships. To address this gap, this study aims to synthesize and analyze the existing literature on INS during social interactions in close relationships. We conducted a meta-analysis of 17 functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning studies involving 1149 dyads participants, including romantic couples and parent-child dyads. The results revealed robust and consistent INS in the frontal, temporal, and parietal regions of the brain and found similar INS patterns in couples and parent-child studies, providing solid empirical evidence for the attachment theory. Moreover, the age of children and brain areas were significant predictors of the effect size in parent-child research. The developmental stage of children and the mismatched development of brain structures might be the crucial factors for the difference in neural performance in social and cognitive behaviors in parent-child dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, Macau Special Administrative Region of China; Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, Macau Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Wan Zhao
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hongfei Du
- Department of Psychology, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai 519087, Guangdong, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China.
| | - Peilian Chi
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, Macau Special Administrative Region of China; Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, Macau Special Administrative Region of China.
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3
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Li M, Usui N, Shimada S. Prenatal Sex Hormone Exposure Is Associated with the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032203. [PMID: 36768521 PMCID: PMC9916422 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual differentiation is a major developmental process. Sex differences resulting from sexual differentiation have attracted the attention of researchers. Unraveling what contributes to and underlies sex differences will provide valuable insights into the development of neurodevelopmental disorders that exhibit sex biases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individual's social interaction and communication abilities, and its male preponderance has been consistently reported in clinical studies. The etiology of male preponderance remains unclear, but progress has been made in studying prenatal sex hormone exposure. The present review examined studies that focused on the association between prenatal testosterone exposure and ASD development, as well as sex-specific behaviors in individuals with ASD. This review also included studies on maternal immune activation-induced developmental abnormalities that also showed striking sex differences in offspring and discussed its possible interacting roles in ASD so as to present a potential approach for future studies on sex biases in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwei Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Usui
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-6-6879-3124
| | - Shoichi Shimada
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
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4
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Zwaan IS, Felmingham K, Vijayakumar N, Patton G, Mundy L, Byrne ML, Simmons J, Whittle S. Estradiol variability is associated with brain structure in early adolescent females. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 146:105943. [PMID: 36162183 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
One-third of adolescents are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder by age 16, with female adolescents twice as likely to experience an internalizing (i.e., depression or anxiety) disorder as their male peers. Individual differences in pubertal factors may partially underlie this disparity, potentially via the role of pubertal hormones in shaping brain development. While research has examined links between estradiol levels and brain structure, individual variation in estradiol levels has not been considered. Using longitudinal data from 44 female adolescents (baseline age M = 11.7; follow-up age M= 13.3), we examined associations between both average estradiol and estradiol variability, and brain gray matter structure at baseline. We used a hypothesis-driven region of interest (ROI) approach focusing on subcortical and ventromedial prefrontal regions, in addition to an exploratory whole-brain analysis. We also investigated whether brain structure mediated the association between estradiol measures and internalizing (i.e., anxious and depressive) symptoms at follow-up. ROI analyses revealed a significant negative association between estradiol variability and thickness of the right medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, β = -0.39, FDR corrected p = .010). There were, however, no significant associations between average estradiol or estradiol variability and internalizing symptoms, nor was there evidence of mediation. Our results indicate that increased variation in estradiol levels across a month is associated with decreased cortical thickness in a brain region implicated in emotion processing, although implications for mental health are unclear. Findings, however, highlight the importance of considering individual variation in estradiol when examining links to brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel S Zwaan
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Kim Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nandi Vijayakumar
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Australia
| | - George Patton
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Australia
| | - Lisa Mundy
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Australia
| | - Michelle L Byrne
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
| | - Julian Simmons
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Australia
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5
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Rauch JM, Eliot L. Breaking the binary: Gender versus sex analysis in human brain imaging. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119732. [PMID: 36334813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of pursuit, human brain imaging has yet to uncover clear neural correlates of male-female behavioral differences. Given that such behavior does not always align with sex categories, we argue that neuroimaging research may find more success by partitioning subjects along nonbinary gender attributes in addition to sex. We review the handful of studies that have done this, several of which find as good or better association between brain measures and "gender" as they do with "sex." Recent advances in operationalizing "gender" as a multidimensional variable should facilitate such studies, along with discovery-based approaches that mine brain imaging data for gender-associated attributes, independent of sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Rauch
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, USA
| | - Lise Eliot
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, USA; Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair; Dept. Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, USA.
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6
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Vilca LW. The moderating role of sex in the relationship between executive functions and academic procrastination in undergraduate students. Front Psychol 2022; 13:928425. [PMID: 36072020 PMCID: PMC9444057 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.928425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of the study was to determine if sex plays a moderating role in the relationship between executive functions and academic procrastination in 106 university students of both genders (28.3% male and 71.7% female) between the ages of 18 and 30 years (M = 19.7; SD = 2.7). The Academic Procrastination Scale and the Neuropsychological Battery of Executive Functions and Frontal Lobes (BANFE-2) were used to measure the variables. The results of the study showed that the degree of prediction of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex (involves the orbitofrontal cortex [OFC] and the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC]) on academic procrastination is significantly moderated by the sex of the university students (β3 = 0.53; p < 0.01). For men, the estimated effect of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex on the degree of academic procrastination is −0.81. For women, the estimated effect of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex on the degree of academic procrastination is −0.28. In addition, it was shown that sex does not play a moderating role in the relationship between the tasks linked to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and academic procrastination (β3 = 0.12; p > 0.05). It was also determined that sex does not play a moderating role in the relationship between the tasks linked to the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) and academic procrastination (β3 = 0.05; p > 0.05). It is concluded that only the executive functions associated with the orbitomedial cortex are moderated by the sex of the university students, where the impact of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex on academic procrastination in men is significantly greater than in women.
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7
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Rochat MJ. Sex and gender differences in the development of empathy. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:718-729. [PMID: 35043464 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The topic of typical sex and gender difference in empathy is examined in both a developmental and neuroscientific perspective. Empathy is construed as a multi-layered phenomenon with various degrees of complexity unfolding in ontogeny. The different components of empathy (i.e., affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) will be discussed as they interact and are expressed behaviorally. Significant sex/gender differences in empathy are discussed in relation to putative bottom-up or top-down processes underlying empathetic responses. The early onset and the pervasive presence of such sex/gender differences throughout the lifespan are further discussed in light of social and neurobiological modeling factors, including early socialization, brain's structural/functional variances, as well as genetics and hormonal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Jane Rochat
- Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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8
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Sunderaraman P, Gazes Y, Ortiz G, Langfield C, Mensing A, Chapman S, Joyce JL, Brickman AM, Stern Y, Cosentino S. Financial decision-making and self-awareness for financial decision-making is associated with white matter integrity in older adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:1630-1639. [PMID: 34984770 PMCID: PMC8886641 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Financial decision-making (FDM) and awareness of the integrity of one's FDM abilities (or financial awareness) are both critical for preventing financial mistakes. We examined the white matter correlates of these constructs and hypothesized that the tracts connecting the temporal-frontal regions would be most strongly correlated with both FDM and financial awareness. Overall, 49 healthy older adults were included in the FDM analysis and 44 in the financial awareness analyses. The Objective Financial Competency Assessment Inventory was used to measure FDM. Financial awareness was measured by integrating metacognitive ratings into this inventory and was calculated as the degree of overconfidence or underconfidence. Diffusion tensor imaging data were processed with Tracts Constrained by Underlying Anatomy distributed as part of the FreeSurfer analytic suite, which produced average measures of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in 18 white matter tracts along with the overall tract average. As expected, FDM showed the strongest negative associations with average mean diffusivity measure of the superior longitudinal fasciculus -temporal (SLFT; r = -.360, p = .011) and -parietal (r = -.351, p = .014) tracts. After adjusting for FDM, only the association between financial awareness and average mean diffusivity measure of the right SLFT (r = .310, p = .046) was significant. Overlapping white matter tracts were involved in both FDM and financial awareness. More importantly, these preliminary findings reinforce emerging literature on a unique role of right hemisphere temporal connections in supporting financial awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sunderaraman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yunglin Gazes
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gema Ortiz
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher Langfield
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ashley Mensing
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Silvia Chapman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jillian L Joyce
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Gertrude. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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9
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Wada S, Honma M, Masaoka Y, Yoshida M, Koiwa N, Sugiyama H, Iizuka N, Kubota S, Kokudai Y, Yoshikawa A, Kamijo S, Kamimura S, Ida M, Ono K, Onda H, Izumizaki M. Volume of the right supramarginal gyrus is associated with a maintenance of emotion recognition ability. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254623. [PMID: 34293003 PMCID: PMC8297759 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotion recognition is known to change with age, but associations between the change and brain atrophy are not well understood. In the current study atrophied brain regions associated with emotion recognition were investigated in elderly and younger participants. Group comparison showed no difference in emotion recognition score, while the score was associated with years of education, not age. We measured the gray matter volume of 18 regions of interest including the bilateral precuneus, supramarginal gyrus, orbital gyrus, straight gyrus, superior temporal sulcus, inferior frontal gyrus, insular cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, which have been associated with social function and emotion recognition. Brain reductions were observed in elderly group except left inferior frontal gyrus, left straight gyrus, right orbital gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right supramarginal gyrus. Path analysis was performed using the following variables: age, years of education, emotion recognition score, and the 5 regions that were not different between the groups. The analysis revealed that years of education were associated with volumes of the right orbital gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right supramarginal gyrus. Furthermore, the right supramarginal gyrus volume was associated with the emotion recognition score. These results suggest that the amount of education received contributes to maintain the right supramarginal gyrus volume, and indirectly affects emotion recognition ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Wada
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoyasu Honma
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Yuri Masaoka
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Yoshida
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Koiwa
- Human Arts and Sciences Research Center, University of Human Arts and Sciences, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Natsuko Iizuka
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satomi Kubota
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumika Kokudai
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Yoshikawa
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shotaro Kamijo
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawa Kamimura
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ida
- Department of Radiology, Stroke Center, Ebara Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Onda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Izumizaki
- Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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10
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de Lacy N, Kutz JN, Calhoun VD. Sex-related differences in brain dynamism at rest as neural correlates of positive and negative valence system constructs. Cogn Neurosci 2021; 12:131-154. [PMID: 32715898 PMCID: PMC7881523 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2020.1793752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Clinical anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental illnesses, likely representing maladaptive expressions of negative valence systems concerned with conditioned responses to fear, threat, loss, and frustrative nonreward. These conditions exhibit similar, striking sex/gender-related differences in onset, incidence, and severity for which the neural correlates are not yet established. In alarge sample of neurotypical young adults, we demonstrate that intrinsic brain dynamism metrics derived from sex-sensitive models of whole-brain network function are significantly associated with valence system traits. Surprisingly, we found that greater brain dynamism is strongly positively correlated to anxiety and depression traits in males, but almost wholly decoupled from traits for important cognitive control and reappraisal strategies associated with positive valence. Conversely, intrinsic brain dynamism is strongly positively coupled to drive, novelty-seeking and self-control in females with only rare or non-significant directional negative correlation with anxiety and depression traits. Our results suggest that the dynamic neural correlates of traits for valence, anxiety and depression are significantly different in males/men and females/women. These findings may relate to the known sex/gender-related differences in cognitive reappraisal of emotional experiences and clinical presentations of anxiety and depression, with potential relevance to gold standard therapies based on enhancing cognitive control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina de Lacy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - J. Nathan Kutz
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Lewis Hall 201, Seattle WA 98195
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
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11
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Cauvet É, Van't Westeinde A, Toro R, Kuja-Halkola R, Neufeld J, Mevel K, Bölte S. The social brain in female autism: a structural imaging study of twins. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:423-436. [PMID: 32363404 PMCID: PMC7308659 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A female advantage in social cognition (SoC) might contribute to women's underrepresentation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latter could be underpinned by sex differences in social brain structure. This study investigated the relationship between structural social brain networks and SoC in females and males in relation to ASD and autistic traits in twins. We used a co-twin design in 77 twin pairs (39 female) aged 12.5 to 31.0 years. Twin pairs were discordant or concordant for ASD or autistic traits, discordant or concordant for other neurodevelopmental disorders or concordant for neurotypical development. They underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed for SoC using the naturalistic Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition. Autistic traits predicted reduced SoC capacities predominantly in male twins, despite a comparable extent of autistic traits in each sex, although the association between SoC and autistic traits did not differ significantly between the sexes. Consistently, within-pair associations between SoC and social brain structure revealed that lower SoC ability was associated with increased cortical thickness of several brain regions, particularly in males. Our findings confirm the notion that sex differences in SoC in association with ASD are underpinned by sex differences in brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élodie Cauvet
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm 11330, Sweden
| | - Annelies Van't Westeinde
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm 11330, Sweden
| | - Roberto Toro
- Department of Neuroscience, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, Paris 75015, France.,CNRS URA 2182 "Genes, synapses and cognition", Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris 75013, France
| | - Ralf Kuja-Halkola
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Janina Neufeld
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm 11330, Sweden
| | - Katell Mevel
- GIP Cyceron, Normandy University, Caen 14074, France
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm 11330, Sweden.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm 11330, Sweden.,School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6102, Australia
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12
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Graves WW, Coulanges L, Levinson H, Boukrina O, Conant LL. Neural Effects of Gender and Age Interact in Reading. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1115. [PMID: 31680843 PMCID: PMC6812500 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been an enduring fascination with the possibility of gender differences in the brain basis of language, yet the evidence has been largely equivocal. Evidence does exist, however, for women being at greater risk than men for developing psychomotor slowing and even Alzheimer disease with advancing age, although this may in part at least be due to women living longer. We examined whether gender, age, or their interaction influenced language-related or more general processes in reading. Reading consists of elements related to language, such as the processing of word sound patterns (phonology) and meanings (semantics), along with the lead-in processes of visual perception and orthographic (visual word form) processing that are specific to reading. To test for any influence of gender and age on either semantic processing or orthography-phonology mapping, we tested for an interaction of these factors on differences between meaningful words and meaningless but pronounceable non-words. We also tested for effects of gender and age on how the number of letters in a word modulates neural activity for reading. This lead-in process presumably relates most to orthography. Behaviorally, reading accuracy declined with age for both men and women, but the decline was steeper for men. Neurally, interactions between gender and age were found exclusively in medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). These factors influenced the word-non-word contrast, but not the parametric effect of number of letters. Men showed increasing activation with age for non-words compared to words. Women showed only slightly decreasing activation with age for novel letter strings. Overall, we found interactive effects of gender and age in the mOFC on the left primarily for novel letter strings, but no such interaction for a contrast that emphasized visual form processing. Thus the interaction of gender with age in the mOFC may relate most to orthography-phonology conversion for unfamiliar letter strings. More generally, this suggests that efforts to investigate effects of gender on language-related tasks may benefit from taking into account age and the type of cognitive process being highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W. Graves
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University–Newark, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Linsah Coulanges
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University–Newark, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Hillary Levinson
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University–Newark, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Olga Boukrina
- Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, United States
| | - Lisa L. Conant
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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Geary DC. Evolutionary perspective on sex differences in the expression of neurological diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 176:33-53. [PMID: 29890214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex-specific brain and cognitive deficits emerge with malnutrition, some infectious and neurodegenerative diseases, and often with prenatal or postnatal toxin exposure. These deficits are described in disparate literatures and are generally not linked to one another. Sexual selection may provide a unifying framework that integrates our understanding of these deficits and provides direction for future studies of sex-specific vulnerabilities. Sexually selected traits are those that have evolved to facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choices, and are often larger and more complex than other traits. Critically, malnutrition, disease, chronic social stress, and exposure to man-made toxins compromise the development and expression of sexually selected traits more strongly than that of other traits. The fundamental mechanism underlying vulnerability might be the efficiency of mitochondrial energy capture and control of oxidative stress that in turn links these traits to current advances in neuroenergetics, stress endocrinology, and toxicology. The key idea is that the elaboration of these cognitive abilities, with more underlying gray matter or more extensive inter-modular white matter connections, makes them particularly sensitive to disruptions in mitochondrial functioning and oxidative stress. A framework of human sexually selected cognitive abilities and underlying brain systems is proposed and used to organize what is currently known about sex-specific vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, MO, 65211-2500, Columbia, United States.
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Sakai S, Whitt B, Arsznov B, Lundrigan B. Endocranial Development in the Coyote (Canis latrans) and Gray Wolf (Canis lupus): A Computed Tomographic Study. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2018; 91:65-81. [DOI: 10.1159/000487427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of postnatal brain growth in two wild canid species: the coyote (Canis latrans) and gray wolf (Canis lupus). Adult regional and total brain volume differences were also compared between the two species as well as within each species by sex. Three-dimensional virtual endocasts of endocranial airspace were created from computed tomography scans of 52 coyote skulls (28 female, 24 male; 1 day to 13.4 years) and 46 gray wolf skulls (25 female, 21 male; 1 day to 7.9 years). Age was known in coyotes or estimated from dentition patterns in wolves. The 95% asymptotic growth of the endocranium is completed by 21 weeks in male and 17.5 weeks in female coyotes and by 27 weeks in male and 18.5 weeks in female wolves. These ages are well before age at first reproduction (coyote – 40.4 weeks; wolf – 91.25 weeks). Skull growth as measured by centroid size lags behind endocranial growth but is also completed before sexual maturity. Intra- and interspecific comparisons of brain volumes in the adult wolves and coyotes revealed that relative anterior cerebrum (AC) volume was greater in males than females in both species. Relative brain size was greater in the coyote than in the wolf as was relative cerebrum volume. However, relative AC volume and relative cerebellum and brainstem volume was greater in the wolf than coyote. One explanation for the increased AC volume in males compared to females may be related to the role of social information processing. However, additional data are needed to determine the correspondence between regional volumes and functional differences either between or within these species. Nonetheless, these findings provide important baseline data for further studies on wild canid brain variations and development.
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Gender differences in cognitive Theory of Mind revealed by transcranial direct current stimulation on medial prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41219. [PMID: 28117378 PMCID: PMC5259730 DOI: 10.1038/srep41219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender differences in social cognition are a long discussed issue, in particular those concerning Theory of Mind (ToM), i.e., the ability to explain and predict other people's mental states. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that anodal tDCS over the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) selectively enhances cognitive ToM performance in females. In the first experiment we administered to sixteen females and sixteen males a cognitive ToM task during anodal or placebo tDCS over the mPFC. In the second experiment further sixteen females completed the task receiving anodal or placebo tDCS over the vertex. The results showed that anodal tDCS over the mPFC enhances ToM in females but not in males, an effect indicated by enhanced ToM in females that received anodal tDCS over the mPFC compared with females that received tDCS over the vertex. These findings are relevant for three reasons. First, we found evidence of gender-related differences in cognitive ToM, extending previous findings concerning affective ToM. Second, these differences emerge with anodal stimulation of the mPFC, confirming the crucial role of this area in cognitive ToM. Third, we show that taking into account gender-related differences is mandatory for the investigation of ToM.
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Grabowska A. Sex on the brain: Are gender-dependent structural and functional differences associated with behavior? J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:200-212. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grabowska
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Warsaw Poland
- Department of Neurophysiology; Nencki Institute of Experimantal Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences; Warsaw Poland
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Mendrek A, Mancini-Marïe A. Sex/gender differences in the brain and cognition in schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 67:57-78. [PMID: 26743859 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The early conceptualizations of schizophrenia have noted some sex/gender differences in epidemiology and clinical expression of the disorder. Over the past few decades, the interest in differences between male and female patients has expanded to encompass brain morphology and neurocognitive function. Despite some variability and methodological shortcomings, a few patterns emerge from the available literature. Most studies of gross neuroanatomy show more enlarged ventricles and smaller frontal lobes in men than in women with schizophrenia; finding reflecting normal sexual dimorphism. In comparison, studies of brain asymmetry and specific corticolimbic structures, suggest a disturbance in normal sexual dimorphism. The neurocognitive findings are somewhat consistent with this picture. Studies of cognitive functions mediated by the lateral frontal network tend to show sex differences in patients which are in the same direction as those observed in the general population, whereas studies of processes mediated by the corticolimbic system more frequently reveal reversal of normal sexual dimorphisms. These trends are faint and future research would need to delineate neurocognitive differences between men and women with various subtypes of schizophrenia (e.g., early versus late onset), while taking into consideration hormonal status and gender of tested participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Mendrek
- Department of Psychology, Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Adham Mancini-Marïe
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Centre neuchâtelois de psychiatrie, Neuchâtel, Suisse
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Belfi AM, Chen KH, Schneider B, Tranel D. Neurological damage disrupts normal sex differences in psychophysiological responsiveness to music. Psychophysiology 2015; 53:14-20. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Belfi
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa USA
- Department of Neurology; University of Iowa College of Medicine; Iowa City Iowa USA
| | - Kuan-Hua Chen
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa USA
- Department of Neurology; University of Iowa College of Medicine; Iowa City Iowa USA
| | - Brett Schneider
- Department of Neurology; University of Iowa College of Medicine; Iowa City Iowa USA
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa USA
- Department of Neurology; University of Iowa College of Medicine; Iowa City Iowa USA
- Department of Psychology; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa USA
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Mendrek A. Is It Important to Consider Sex and Gender in Neurocognitive Studies? Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:83. [PMID: 26082728 PMCID: PMC4451577 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Mendrek
- Department of Psychology, Bishop's University , Sherbrooke, QC , Canada
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Case SS, Oetama-Paul AJ. Brain Biology and Gendered Discourse. APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW-PSYCHOLOGIE APPLIQUEE-REVUE INTERNATIONALE 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/apps.12040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan S. Case
- Weatherhead School of Management; Case Western Reserve University; USA
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Belfi AM, Conrad AL, Dawson J, Nopoulos P. Masculinity/femininity predicts brain volumes in normal healthy children. Dev Neuropsychol 2014; 39:25-36. [PMID: 24405182 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2013.839681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown sex differences in brain morphology ( De Bellis et al., 2001 ). However, these studies have not taken gender into account. Gender is a phenotype that describes behavior. In this study, we examined the relationship between gender, sex, and brain volumes in children. One hundred and eight children ages 7 to 17 were administered the Children's Sex Role Inventory ( Boldizar, 1991 ) and obtained volumetric brain data via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We found that, in the frontal lobe, higher masculinity predicted greater volumes of white matter. Also, in the temporal lobe, higher femininity predicted greater volumes of gray matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Belfi
- a Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience , University of Iowa , Iowa City , Iowa
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Ruigrok ANV, Salimi-Khorshidi G, Lai MC, Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV, Tait RJ, Suckling J. A meta-analysis of sex differences in human brain structure. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 39:34-50. [PMID: 24374381 PMCID: PMC3969295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 655] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
This is the first meta-analysis of sex differences in the typical human brain. Regional sex differences overlap with areas implicated in psychiatric conditions. The amygdala, hippocampus, planum temporale and insula display sex differences. On average, males have larger brain volumes than females. Most articles providing sex differences in volume are in the ‘mature’ category.
The prevalence, age of onset, and symptomatology of many neuropsychiatric conditions differ between males and females. To understand the causes and consequences of sex differences it is important to establish where they occur in the human brain. We report the first meta-analysis of typical sex differences on global brain volume, a descriptive account of the breakdown of studies of each compartmental volume by six age categories, and whole-brain voxel-wise meta-analyses on brain volume and density. Gaussian-process regression coordinate-based meta-analysis was used to examine sex differences in voxel-based regional volume and density. On average, males have larger total brain volumes than females. Examination of the breakdown of studies providing total volumes by age categories indicated a bias towards the 18–59 year-old category. Regional sex differences in volume and tissue density include the amygdala, hippocampus and insula, areas known to be implicated in sex-biased neuropsychiatric conditions. Together, these results suggest candidate regions for investigating the asymmetric effect that sex has on the developing brain, and for understanding sex-biased neurological and psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber N V Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom.
| | - Gholamreza Salimi-Khorshidi
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Jen-Ai Road Section 1, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Roger J Tait
- Brain Mapping Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SP, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom; Brain Mapping Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SP, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
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Do the BSRI and PAQ Really Measure Masculinity and Femininity? SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 13:1000-9. [DOI: 10.1017/s113874160000264x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The two most used instruments to assess masculinity (M) and femininity (F) are the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Personality Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). Two hypotheses will be tested: a) multidimensionality versus bidimensionality, and b) to what extent the two instruments, elaborated to measure the same constructs, classify subjects in the same way. Participants were 420 high school students, 198 women and 222 men, aged 12–15 years. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis were carried out and log-linear models were tested. The data support a) the multidimensionality of both instruments and b) the lack of full concordance in the classification of persons according to the fourfold typology. Implications of the results are discussed regarding the supposed theory behind instrumentality/expressiveness and masculinity/femininity, as well as for the use of both instruments to classify different subjects into the four distinct types.
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Arsznov BM, Sakai ST. Pride Diaries: Sex, Brain Size and Sociality in the African Lion (Panthera leo) and Cougar (Puma concolor) . BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2012; 79:275-89. [DOI: 10.1159/000338670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Mendrek A, Stip E. Sexual dimorphism in schizophrenia: is there a need for gender-based protocols? Expert Rev Neurother 2011; 11:951-9. [PMID: 21721913 DOI: 10.1586/ern.11.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gender differences have been reported in various aspects of schizophrenia, including its epidemiology, clinical course and the response to antipsychotic medications. Over the past few years the authors have been investigating sex differences in brain function in individuals with schizophrenia and have found an intriguing disturbance of normal sexual dimorphism during emotional and cognitive processing. These results can be partly accounted for by altered levels of sex steroid hormones (i.e., estrogen and testosterone) in patients. A handful of clinical research groups have tried low doses of estrogen, testosterone or their precursors as adjunct therapies to the currently available antipsychotic medications in women and men with schizophrenia. The results have been promising, but further investigation is warranted. In the future, new more specific steroidal compounds will be developed and we will see more studies examining sex differences in the brain, behavior and mental health problems. This research will help to identify individuals who may benefit greatest from adjunct hormonal therapies and will further our understanding of the etiology of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Mendrek
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, 7331 Hochelaga, Montreal (QC), H1N 3V2, Canada.
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Raine A, Yang Y, Narr KL, Toga AW. Sex differences in orbitofrontal gray as a partial explanation for sex differences in antisocial personality. Mol Psychiatry 2011; 16:227-36. [PMID: 20029391 PMCID: PMC3008752 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2009.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Attention is increasingly being given to understanding sex difference in psychopathology to better understand the etiology of disorders. This study tests the hypothesis that sex differences in ventral and middle frontal gray volume contribute to sex differences in antisocial personality disorder (APD) and crime. Participants were recruited from temporary employment agencies, consisting of normal controls, substance/alcohol-dependent controls, axis I/II psychiatric controls and individuals with APD. An independent sample of female volunteers was also recruited. Magnetic resonance imaging volumes of superior frontal, middle frontal, inferior frontal, orbital frontal and rectal gyral frontal gray matter, and dimensional scores of APD and criminal behavior were assessed. APD males when compared with male controls showed an 8.7% reduction in orbitofrontal gray volume, a 17.3% reduction in middle frontal gray and a 16.1% reduction in right rectal gray. Reduced middle and orbitofrontal volumes were significantly associated with increased APD symptoms and criminal offending in both males and females. Males as a whole had reduced orbitofrontal and middle frontal gray volume when compared with females, and controlling for these brain differences reduced the gender difference in the antisocial personality/behavior by 77.3%. Findings were not a function of psychiatric comorbidity, psychosocial risk factors, head injury or trauma exposure. Findings implicate structural differences in the ventral and middle frontal gray as both a risk factor for APD and as a partial explanation for sex differences in APD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Yaling Yang
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Katherine L. Narr
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Arthur W. Toga
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles
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Arsznov BM, Lundrigan BL, Holekamp KE, Sakai ST. Sex and the frontal cortex: A developmental CT study in the spotted hyena. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2010; 76:185-97. [PMID: 21088374 DOI: 10.1159/000321317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2010] [Accepted: 09/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine developmental and individual variation in total endocranial volume and regional brain volumes, including the anterior cerebrum, posterior cerebrum and cerebellum/brain stem, in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). The spotted hyena is a highly gregarious animal noted for living in large, hierarchically organized groups. The social lives of male and female spotted hyenas do not differ until after puberty, when males disperse from the natal group, while females remain philopatric. Here we sought to determine whether the divergent life histories of male and female spotted hyenas are linked to differences in brain size or organization. Three-dimensional virtual endocasts were created using computed tomography from 46 spotted hyenas skulls (23 females, 22 males, 1 unknown sex) ranging in age from 1 day to 18 years. Brain volume and skull length were highly correlated (r = 0.91), and both reached asymptotic values by 34 months of age. Analyses of total endocranial volume (relative to skull length) and cerebellum/brain stem volume (relative to total endocranial volume) revealed no sex differences. However, relative anterior cerebrum volume, comprised mainly of frontal cortex, was significantly greater in adult males than adult females, and relative posterior cerebrum volume was greater in adult females than adult males. We hypothesize that the demands of neural processing underlying enhanced social cognition required for successful male transfer between matriarchical social groups at dispersal may be greater than cognitive demands on philopatric females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley M Arsznov
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824, USA
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Powell JL, Lewis PA, Dunbar RI, García-Fiñana M, Roberts N. Orbital prefrontal cortex volume correlates with social cognitive competence. Neuropsychologia 2010; 48:3554-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2009] [Revised: 07/30/2010] [Accepted: 08/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Bhojraj TS, Sweeney JA, Prasad KM, Eack SM, Francis AN, Miewald JM, Montrose DM, Keshavan MS. Gray matter loss in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia: relation with prodromal psychopathology. Neuroimage 2010; 54 Suppl 1:S272-9. [PMID: 20441795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.04.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2009] [Revised: 03/26/2010] [Accepted: 04/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The maturation of neocortical regions mediating social cognition during adolescence and young adulthood in relatives of schizophrenia patients may be vulnerable to heritable alterations of neurodevelopment. Prodromal psychotic symptoms, commonly emerging during this period in relatives, have been hypothesized to result from alterations in brain regions mediating social cognition. We hypothesized these regions to show longitudinal alterations and these alterations to predict prodromal symptoms in adolescent and young adult relatives of schizophrenia patients. 27 Healthy controls and 23 relatives were assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up using scale of prodromal symptoms and gray matter volumes of hypothesized regions from T1-MRI images. Regional volumes showing deficits on ANCOVA and repeated-measures ANCOVAs (controlling intra cranial volume, age and gender) were correlated with prodromal symptoms. At baseline, bilateral amygdalae, bilateral pars triangulares, left lateral orbitofrontal, right frontal pole, angular and supramarginal gyrii were smaller in relatives compared to controls. Relatives declined but controls increased or remained stable on bilateral lateral orbitofrontal, left rostral anterior cingulate, left medial prefrontal, right inferior frontal gyrus and left temporal pole volumes at follow-up relative to baseline. Smaller volumes predicted greater severity of prodromal symptoms at both cross-sectional assessments. Longitudinally, smaller baseline volumes predicted greater prodromal symptoms at follow-up; greater longitudinal decreases in volumes predicted worsening (increase) of prodromal symptoms over time. These preliminary findings suggest that abnormal longitudinal gray matter loss may occur in regions mediating social cognition and may convey risk for prodromal symptoms during adolescence and early adulthood in individuals with a familial diathesis for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejas S Bhojraj
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Welborn BL, Papademetris X, Reis DL, Rajeevan N, Bloise SM, Gray JR. Variation in orbitofrontal cortex volume: relation to sex, emotion regulation and affect. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2009; 4:328-39. [PMID: 20019072 PMCID: PMC2799952 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsp028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2008] [Accepted: 07/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in brain structure have been examined extensively but are not completely understood, especially in relation to possible functional correlates. Our two aims in this study were to investigate sex differences in brain structure, and to investigate a possible relation between orbitofrontal cortex subregions and affective individual differences. We used tensor-based morphometry to estimate local brain volume from MPRAGE images in 117 healthy right-handed adults (58 female), age 18-40 years. We entered estimates of local brain volume as the dependent variable in a GLM, controlling for age, intelligence and whole-brain volume. Men had larger left planum temporale. Women had larger ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), right lateral orbitofrontal (rlOFC), cerebellum, and bilateral basal ganglia and nearby white matter. vmPFC but not rlOFC volume covaried with self-reported emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal, suppression), expressivity of positive emotions (but not of negative), strength of emotional impulses, and cognitive but not somatic anxiety. vmPFC volume statistically mediated sex differences in emotion suppression. The results confirm prior reports of sex differences in orbitofrontal cortex structure, and are the first to show that normal variation in vmPFC volume is systematically related to emotion regulation and affective individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Locke Welborn
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
| | - Xenophon Papademetris
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
| | - Deidre L. Reis
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
| | - Nallakkandi Rajeevan
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
| | - Suzanne M. Bloise
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
| | - Jeremy R. Gray
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
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Jausovec N, Jausovec K. Gender related differences in visual and auditory processing of verbal and figural tasks. Brain Res 2009; 1300:135-45. [PMID: 19747461 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.08.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2009] [Revised: 08/14/2009] [Accepted: 08/31/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate gender related differences in brain activity for tasks of verbal and figural content presented in the visual and auditory modality. Thirty male and 30 female respondents solved four tasks while their electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. Also recorded was the percentage of oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (%StO(2)) in the respondents' frontal brain areas with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The main findings of the study can be summarized as follows. (1) Most pronounced differences between males and females were observed for the factor modality-visual/auditory. (2) Gender related differences in neuroelectric brain responses could be observed during the solution of auditory and visual tasks; however, on the behavioral level only for the visual tasks did females display shorter reaction times than males. The ERP amplitudes of the early evoked gamma response, P1, and P3 were higher in females than males, whereas the N4 amplitude was higher in males than females. The differences were more noticeable in the visual modality. The NIRS showed a more bilateral involvement of the frontal brain areas in females as compared with a more left hemispheric frontal activity in males. In the task conditions an increase in right hemispheric activity in females was observed; however, this increase was less pronounced in the visual than the auditory domain, indicating a more lateralized processing of visual stimuli in females. Taken all together the results suggest that the females' visual event-categorization process is more efficient than in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Jausovec
- Univerza v Mariboru, Filozofska fakulteta, Koroska 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
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Wood JL, Murko V, Nopoulos P. Ventral frontal cortex in children: morphology, social cognition and femininity/masculinity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2008; 3:168-76. [PMID: 19015107 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsn010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral frontal cortex (VFC) has been shown to differ morphologically between sexes. Social cognition, which many studies demonstrate involves the VFC, also differs between sexes, with females being more adept than males. In a previous study of subregions of the VFC in our lab, in an adult population, size of the straight gyrus (SG) but not the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), differed between sexes and correlated with better performance on a test of social cognition and with greater identification with feminine characteristics. To investigate the relationship between VFC structure and social cognition in children, VFC gray matter volumes were measured on MRIs from 37 boys and 37 girls aged 7 to 17. The VFC was subdivided into the OFC and SG. Subjects were also administered a test of social perceptiveness and a rating scale of femininity/masculinity. In contrast to our findings in adults, the SG was slightly smaller in girls than boys. In girls, but not boys, smaller SG volumes significantly correlated with better social perception and higher identification with feminine traits. No volume differences by sex or significant correlations were found with the OFC. These data suggest a complex relationship between femininity, social cognition and SG morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Wood
- University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Mental Health Clinical Research Center, W278 GH, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
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