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Mielke MM, Frank RD, Christenson LR, Reid RI, Fields JA, Knyazhanskaya ZE, Kara F, Vemuri P, Rocca WA, Kantarci K. Premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy and brain white matter brain integrity in later-life. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:5054-5061. [PMID: 38899634 PMCID: PMC11247692 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO) is associated with later-life cognition, but the underlying brain changes remain unclear. We assessed the impact of PBO and PBO age on white matter integrity. METHODS Female participants with regional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were included (22 with PBO < 40 years; 43 with PBO 40-45 years; 39 with PBO 46-49 years; 907 referents without PBO < 50 years). Linear regression models adjusted for age and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. RESULTS Females with PBO < 40 years, compared to referents, had lower FA and higher MD in the anterior corona radiata, genu of the corpus collosum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior occipital, and superior temporal white matter. Females who underwent PBO between 45 and 49 also had some changes in white matter integrity. DISCUSSION Females who underwent PBO < 40 years had reduced white matter integrity across multiple regions in later-life. These results are important for females considering PBO for noncancerous conditions. HIGHLIGHTS Females with premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO) < 40 years had lower FA versus referents. Females with PBO < 40 years had higher MD in many regions versus referents. Adjusting for estrogen replacement therapy use did not attenuate results. Females with PBO 45-49 years also had some white matter changes versus referents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M. Mielke
- Department of Epidemiology and PreventionWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Ryan D. Frank
- Department of Quantitative Health SciencesMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | | | | | - Julie A. Fields
- Division of Neurocognitive DisordersDepartment of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | | | - Firat Kara
- Department of RadiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | | | - Walter A. Rocca
- Department of Quantitative Health SciencesMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
- Department of NeurologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
- Women's Health Research CenterMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Kejal Kantarci
- Department of RadiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
- Women's Health Research CenterMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
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Cai J, Kim JL, Wang Y, Baumeister TR, Zhu M, Liu A, Lee S, McKeown MJ. Sex, myelin, and clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1235524. [PMID: 37781247 PMCID: PMC10535348 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1235524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To determine if there are sex differences in myelin in Parkinson's disease, and whether these explain some of the previously-described sex differences in clinical presentation. Methods Thirty-three subjects (23 males, 10 females) with Parkinson's disease underwent myelin water fraction (MWF) imaging, an MRI scanning technique of in vivo myelin content. MWF of 20 white matter regions of interest (ROIs) were assessed. Motor symptoms were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Principal component analysis, logistic and multiple linear regressions, and t-tests were used to determine which white matter ROIs differed between sexes, the clinical features associated with these myelin changes, and if overall MWF and MWF laterality differed between males and females. Results Consistent with prior reports, tremor and bradykinesia were more likely seen in females, whereas rigidity and axial symptoms were more likely seen in males in our cohort. MWF of the thalamic radiation, cingulum, cingulum hippocampus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, inferior longitudinal fasciculi, and uncinate were significant in predicting sex. Overall MWF and asymmetry of MWF was greater in males. MWF differences between sexes were associated with tremor symptomatology and asymmetry of motor performance. Conclusion Sex differences in myelin are associated with tremor and asymmetry of motor presentation. While preliminary, our results suggest that further investigation of the role of biological sex in myelin pathology and clinical presentation in Parkinson's disease is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Cai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jowon L. Kim
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yuheng Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tobias R. Baumeister
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Maria Zhu
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Aiping Liu
- Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Soojin Lee
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Martin J. McKeown
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Lawrence KE, Abaryan Z, Laltoo E, Hernandez LM, Gandal MJ, McCracken JT, Thompson PM. White matter microstructure shows sex differences in late childhood: Evidence from 6797 children. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:535-548. [PMID: 36177528 PMCID: PMC9842921 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in white matter microstructure have been robustly demonstrated in the adult brain using both conventional and advanced diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging approaches. However, sex differences in white matter microstructure prior to adulthood remain poorly understood; previous developmental work focused on conventional microstructure metrics and yielded mixed results. Here, we rigorously characterized sex differences in white matter microstructure among over 6000 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study who were between 9 and 10 years old. Microstructure was quantified using both the conventional model-diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-and an advanced model, restriction spectrum imaging (RSI). DTI metrics included fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD). RSI metrics included normalized isotropic, directional, and total intracellular diffusion (N0, ND, NT). We found significant and replicable sex differences in DTI or RSI microstructure metrics in every white matter region examined across the brain. Sex differences in FA were regionally specific. Across white matter regions, boys exhibited greater MD, AD, and RD than girls, on average. Girls displayed increased N0, ND, and NT compared to boys, on average, suggesting greater cell and neurite density in girls. Together, these robust and replicable findings provide an important foundation for understanding sex differences in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Lawrence
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Zvart Abaryan
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Emily Laltoo
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Leanna M. Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael J. Gandal
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - James T. McCracken
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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4
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Hanlon CA, McCalley DM. Sex/Gender as a Factor That Influences Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment Outcome: Three Potential Biological Explanations. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:869070. [PMID: 35573331 PMCID: PMC9098922 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.869070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique which is now being used in psychiatry clinics across the world as a therapeutic tool for a variety of neural-circuit based disorders (e.g., major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, headache, pain). The higher volume of use and publication of multiple large-scale clinical trials has provided researchers with a unique opportunity to retrospectively evaluate factors influencing TMS treatment responses in large samples of patients. While many studies have focused on TMS protocol parameters as moderators of treatment efficacy, sex/gender is another critical, often overlooked factor influencing TMS treatment outcome. Women, especially during periods of high estradiol, appear to be particularly sensitive to the therapeutic effects of rTMS. This manuscript makes a case for three potential biological explanations for these findings. Drawing on literature from cranio-facial anatomy, neuroimaging, and neuroendocrine fields, we posit that observed increases in response rates of women in clinical rTMS trials may be related to: (1) Closer proximity of the brain to the scalp at the prefrontal cortex, leading to larger TMS induced electric fields especially at the medial prefrontal cortex, (2) Greater gray matter density and gyrification in the prefrontal cortex, and (3) High levels of estradiol which facilitate cortical excitability. These biological explanations are empirical ideas which have been evaluated in laboratory studies and lend themselves to prospective evaluation in multisite clinical rTMS trials. The existing literature on this topic and these three potential biological explanations all indicate that the TMS field should routinely evaluate sex/gender (and associated biological metrics like scalp-to-cortex distance, gray matter density, estradiol/progesterone levels) as a factor that may influence treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen A Hanlon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Daniel M McCalley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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Long KLP, Chao LL, Kazama Y, An A, Hu KY, Peretz L, Muller DCY, Roan VD, Misra R, Toth CE, Breton JM, Casazza W, Mostafavi S, Huber BR, Woodward SH, Neylan TC, Kaufer D. Regional gray matter oligodendrocyte- and myelin-related measures are associated with differential susceptibility to stress-induced behavior in rats and humans. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:631. [PMID: 34903726 PMCID: PMC8668977 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01745-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual reactions to traumatic stress vary dramatically, yet the biological basis of this variation remains poorly understood. Recent studies demonstrate the surprising plasticity of oligodendrocytes and myelin with stress and experience, providing a potential mechanism by which trauma induces aberrant structural and functional changes in the adult brain. In this study, we utilized a translational approach to test the hypothesis that gray matter oligodendrocytes contribute to traumatic-stress-induced behavioral variation in both rats and humans. We exposed adult, male rats to a single, severe stressor and used a multimodal approach to characterize avoidance, startle, and fear-learning behavior, as well as oligodendrocyte and myelin basic protein (MBP) content in multiple brain areas. We found that oligodendrocyte cell density and MBP were correlated with behavioral outcomes in a region-specific manner. Specifically, stress-induced avoidance positively correlated with hippocampal dentate gyrus oligodendrocytes and MBP. Viral overexpression of the oligodendrogenic factor Olig1 in the dentate gyrus was sufficient to induce an anxiety-like behavioral phenotype. In contrast, contextual fear learning positively correlated with MBP in the amygdala and spatial-processing regions of the hippocampus. In a group of trauma-exposed US veterans, T1-/T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging estimates of hippocampal and amygdala myelin associated with symptom profiles in a region-specific manner that mirrored the findings in rats. These results demonstrate a species-independent relationship between region-specific, gray matter oligodendrocytes and differential behavioral phenotypes following traumatic stress exposure. This study suggests a novel mechanism for brain plasticity that underlies individual variance in sensitivity to traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L P Long
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, SanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Linda L Chao
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Yurika Kazama
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Anjile An
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Kelsey Y Hu
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Lior Peretz
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Dyana C Y Muller
- Department of Computer Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Vivian D Roan
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Rhea Misra
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Claire E Toth
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jocelyn M Breton
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - William Casazza
- Department of Statistics and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Department of Statistics and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- Department of Neurology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA New England Health Care System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Steven H Woodward
- National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Thomas C Neylan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA
| | - Daniela Kaufer
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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6
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Domain L, Guillery M, Linz N, König A, Batail JM, David R, Corouge I, Bannier E, Ferré JC, Dondaine T, Drapier D, Robert GH. Multimodal MRI cerebral correlates of verbal fluency switching and its impairment in women with depression. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 33:102910. [PMID: 34942588 PMCID: PMC8713114 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The search of biomarkers in the field of depression requires easy implementable tests that are biologically rooted. Qualitative analysis of verbal fluency tests (VFT) are good candidates, but its cerebral correlates are unknown. METHODS We collected qualitative semantic and phonemic VFT scores along with grey and white matter anatomical MRI of depressed (n = 26) and healthy controls (HC, n = 25) women. Qualitative VFT variables are the "clustering score" (i.e. the ability to produce words within subcategories) and the "switching score" (i.e. the ability to switch between clusters). The clustering and switching scores were automatically calculated using a data-driven approach. Brain measures were cortical thickness (CT) and fractional anisotropy (FA). We tested for associations between CT, FA and qualitative VFT variables within each group. RESULTS Patients had reduced switching VFT scores compared to HC. Thicker cortex was associated with better switching score in semantic VFT bilaterally in the frontal (superior, rostral middle and inferior gyri), parietal (inferior parietal lobule including the supramarginal gyri), temporal (transverse and fusiform gyri) and occipital (lingual gyri) lobes in the depressed group. Positive association between FA and the switching score in semantic VFT was retrieved in depressed patients within the corpus callosum, right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, right superior longitudinal fasciculus extending to the anterior thalamic radiation (all p < 0.05, corrected). CONCLUSION Together, these results suggest that automatic qualitative VFT scores are associated with brain anatomy and reinforce its potential use as a surrogate for depression cerebral bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Domain
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - M Guillery
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - N Linz
- ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - A König
- Stars Team, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Sophia Antipolis, France; CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - J M Batail
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - R David
- Old-age Psychiatry DEPARTMENT, Geriatry Division, University of Nice, France
| | - I Corouge
- U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
| | - E Bannier
- U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
| | - J C Ferré
- U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
| | - T Dondaine
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - D Drapier
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France
| | - G H Robert
- Universitary Department of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France; U1228 Empenn, UMR 6074, IRISA, University of Rennes 1, France
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Marino L, Messina A, S Acierno J, Phan-Hug F, J Niederländer N, Santoni F, La Rosa S, Pitteloud N. Testosterone-induced increase in libido in a patient with a loss-of-function mutation in the AR gene. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep 2021; 2021:EDM21-0031. [PMID: 34152287 PMCID: PMC8240814 DOI: 10.1530/edm-21-0031] [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: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Complete androgen-insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), a disorder of sex development (46,XY DSD), is caused primarily by mutations in the androgen receptor (AR). Gonadectomy is recommended due to the increased risk of gonadoblastoma, however, surgical intervention is often followed by loss of libido. We present a 26-year-old patient with CAIS who underwent gonadectomy followed by a significant decrease in libido, which was improved with testosterone treatment but not with estradiol. Genetic testing was performed and followed by molecular characterization. We found that this patient carried a previously unidentified start loss mutation in the androgen receptor. This variant resulted in an N-terminal truncated protein with an intact DNA binding domain and was confirmed to be loss-of-function in vitro. This unique CAIS case and detailed functional studies raise intriguing questions regarding the relative roles of testosterone and estrogen in libido, and in particular, the potential non-genomic actions of androgens. LEARNING POINTS N-terminal truncation of androgen receptor can cause androgen-insensitivity syndrome. Surgical removal of testosterone-producing gonads can result in loss of libido. Libido may be improved with testosterone treatment but not with estradiol in some forms of CAIS. A previously unreported AR mutation - p.Glu2_Met190del (c.2T>C) - is found in a CAIS patient and results in blunted AR transcriptional activity under testosterone treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marino
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Messina
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - James S Acierno
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Phan-Hug
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas J Niederländer
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Federico Santoni
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Stefano La Rosa
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Nelly Pitteloud
- Department of Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
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Wheelock MD, Goodman AM, Harnett NG, Wood KH, Mrug S, Granger DA, Knight DC. Sex-related Differences in Stress Reactivity and Cingulum White Matter. Neuroscience 2021; 459:118-128. [PMID: 33588003 PMCID: PMC7965343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex and limbic system are important components of the neural circuit that underlies stress and anxiety. These brain regions are connected by white matter tracts that support neural communication including the cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, and the fornix/stria-terminalis. Determining the relationship between stress reactivity and these white matter tracts may provide new insight into factors that underlie stress susceptibility and resilience. Therefore, the present study investigated sex differences in the relationship between stress reactivity and generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) of the white matter tracts that link the prefrontal cortex and limbic system. Diffusion weighted images were collected and deterministic tractography was completed in 104 young adults (55 men, 49 women; mean age = 18.87 SEM = 0.08). Participants also completed self-report questionnaires (e.g., Trait Anxiety) and donated saliva (later assayed for cortisol) before, during, and after the Trier Social Stress Test. Results revealed that stress reactivity (area under the curve increase in cortisol) and GFA of the cingulum bundle varied by sex. Specifically, men demonstrated greater cortisol reactivity and greater GFA within the cingulum than women. Further, an interaction between sex, stress reactivity, and cingulum GFA was observed in which men demonstrated a positive relationship while women demonstrated a negative relationship between GFA and cortisol reactivity. Finally, trait anxiety was positively associated with the GFA of the fornix/stria terminalis - the white matter pathways that connect the hippocampus/amygdala to the hypothalamus. These findings advance our understanding of factors that underlie individual differences in stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Wheelock
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - A M Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - N G Harnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - K H Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - S Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - D A Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 525 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - D C Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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9
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Matijevic S, Ryan L. Tract Specificity of Age Effects on Diffusion Tensor Imaging Measures of White Matter Health. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:628865. [PMID: 33790778 PMCID: PMC8006297 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.628865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Well-established literature indicates that older adults have poorer cerebral white matter integrity, as measured through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Age differences in DTI have been observed widely across white matter, although some tracts appear more sensitive to the effects of aging than others. Factors like APOE ε4 status and sex may contribute to individual differences in white matter integrity that also selectively impact certain tracts, and could influence DTI changes in aging. The present study explored the degree to which age, APOE ε4, and sex exerted global vs. tract specific effects on DTI metrics in cognitively healthy late middle-aged to older adults. Data from 49 older adults (ages 54–92) at two time-points separated by approximately 2.7 years were collected. DTI metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), were extracted from nine white matter tracts and global white matter. Results showed that across timepoints, FA and MD increased globally, with no tract-specific changes observed. Baseline age had a global influence on both measures, with increasing age associated with lower FA and higher MD. After controlling for global white matter FA, age additionally predicted FA for the genu, callosum body, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and both anterior and posterior cingulum. Females exhibited lower global FA on average compared to males. In contrast, MD was selectively elevated in the anterior cingulum and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), for females compared to males. APOE ε4 status was not predictive of either measure. In summary, these results indicate that age and sex are associated with both global and tract-specific alterations to DTI metrics among a healthy older adult cohort. Older women have poorer white matter integrity compared to older men, perhaps related to menopause-induced metabolic changes. While age-related alterations to white matter integrity are global, there is substantial variation in the degree to which tracts are impacted, possibly as a consequence of tract anatomical variability. The present study highlights the importance of accounting for global sources of variation in DTI metrics when attempting to investigate individual differences (due to age, sex, or other factors) in specific white matter tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Matijevic
- Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Lee Ryan
- Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
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10
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Yao S, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Reduced Inter-hemispheric Resting State Functional Connectivity and Its Association With Social Deficits in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:629870. [PMID: 33746796 PMCID: PMC7969641 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.629870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early onset developmental disorder which persists throughout life and is increasing in prevalence over the last few decades. Given its early onset and variable cognitive and emotional functional impairments, it is generally challenging to assess ASD individuals using task-based behavioral and functional MRI paradigms. Consequently, resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) has become a key approach for examining ASD-associated neural alterations and revealed functional alterations in large-scale brain networks relative to typically developing (TD) individuals, particularly those involved in social-cognitive and affective processes. Recent progress suggests that alterations in inter-hemispheric resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between regions in the 2 brain hemispheres, particularly homotopic ones, may be of great importance. Here we have reviewed neuroimaging studies examining inter-hemispheric rsFC abnormities in ASD and its associations with symptom severity. As an index of inter-hemispheric functional connectivity, we have additionally reviewed previous studies on corpus callosum (CC) volumetric and fiber changes in ASD. There are converging findings on reduced inter-hemispheric (including homotopic) rsFC in large-scale brain networks particularly in posterior hubs of the default mode network, reduced volumes in the anterior and posterior CC, and on decreased FA and increased MD or RD across CC subregions. Associations between the strength of inter-hemispheric rsFC and social impairments in ASD together with their classification performance in distinguishing ASD subjects from TD controls across ages suggest that the strength of inter-hemispheric rsFC may be a more promising biomarker for assisting in ASD diagnosis than abnormalities in either brain wide rsFC or brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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11
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Long KLP, Breton JM, Barraza MK, Perloff OS, Kaufer D. Hormonal Regulation of Oligodendrogenesis I: Effects across the Lifespan. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020283. [PMID: 33672939 PMCID: PMC7918364 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain’s capacity to respond to changing environments via hormonal signaling is critical to fine-tuned function. An emerging body of literature highlights a role for myelin plasticity as a prominent type of experience-dependent plasticity in the adult brain. Myelin plasticity is driven by oligodendrocytes (OLs) and their precursor cells (OPCs). OPC differentiation regulates the trajectory of myelin production throughout development, and importantly, OPCs maintain the ability to proliferate and generate new OLs throughout adulthood. The process of oligodendrogenesis, the creation of new OLs, can be dramatically influenced during early development and in adulthood by internal and environmental conditions such as hormones. Here, we review the current literature describing hormonal regulation of oligodendrogenesis within physiological conditions, focusing on several classes of hormones: steroid, peptide, and thyroid hormones. We discuss hormonal regulation at each stage of oligodendrogenesis and describe mechanisms of action, where known. Overall, the majority of hormones enhance oligodendrogenesis, increasing OPC differentiation and inducing maturation and myelin production in OLs. The mechanisms underlying these processes vary for each hormone but may ultimately converge upon common signaling pathways, mediated by specific receptors expressed across the OL lineage. However, not all of the mechanisms have been fully elucidated, and here, we note the remaining gaps in the literature, including the complex interactions between hormonal systems and with the immune system. In the companion manuscript in this issue, we discuss the implications of hormonal regulation of oligodendrogenesis for neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by white matter loss. Ultimately, a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of hormonal regulation of oligodendrogenesis across the entire lifespan, especially in vivo, will progress both basic and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. P. Long
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.K.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jocelyn M. Breton
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.K.)
| | - Matthew K. Barraza
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
| | - Olga S. Perloff
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | - Daniela Kaufer
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.K.)
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
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12
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Reduced axonal caliber and structural changes in a rat model of Fragile X syndrome with a deletion of a K-Homology domain of Fmr1. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:280. [PMID: 32788572 PMCID: PMC7423986 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00943-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by mutations in the FMR1 gene. Neuroanatomical alterations have been reported in both male and female individuals with FXS, yet the morphological underpinnings of these alterations have not been elucidated. In the current study, we found structural changes in both male and female rats that model FXS, some of which are similarly impaired in both sexes, including the superior colliculus and periaqueductal gray, and others that show sex-specific changes. The splenium of the corpus callosum, for example, was only impaired in males. We also found reduced axonal caliber in the splenium, offering a mechanism for its structural changes. Furthermore, we found that overall, male rats have higher brain-wide diffusion than female rats. Our results provide insight into which brain regions are vulnerable to a loss of Fmr1 expression and reveal an impairment at the level of the axon that could cause structural changes in white matter regions.
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13
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Lahey BB, Hinton KE, Meyer FC, Villalta-Gil V, Van Hulle CA, Applegate B, Yang X, Zald DH. Sex differences in associations of socioemotional dispositions measured in childhood and adolescence with brain white matter microstructure 12 years later. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 3:e5. [PMID: 32524066 PMCID: PMC7253690 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2020.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Predictive associations were estimated between socioemotional dispositions measured at 10-17 years using the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale (CADS) and future individual differences in white matter microstructure measured at 22-31 years of age. Participants were 410 twins (48.3% monozygotic) selected for later neuroimaging by oversampling on risk for psychopathology from a representative sample of child and adolescent twins. Controlling for demographic covariates and total intracranial volume (TICV), each CADS disposition (negative emotionality, prosociality, and daring) rated by one of the informants (parent or youth) significantly predicted global fractional anisotropy (FA) averaged across the major white matter tracts in brain in adulthood, but did so through significant interactions with sex after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. In females, each 1 SD difference in greater parent-rated prosociality was associated with 0.43 SD greater FA (p < 0.0008). In males, each 1 SD difference in greater parent-rated daring was associated with 0.24 SD lower FA (p < 0.0008), and each 1 SD difference in greater youth-rated negative emotionality was associated with 0.18 SD greater average FA (p < 0.0040). These findings suggest that CADS dispositions are associated with FA, but associations differ by sex. Exploratory analyses suggest that FA may mediate the associations between dispositions and psychopathology in some cases. These associations over 12 years could reflect enduring brain-behavior associations in spite of transactions with the environment, but could equally reflect processes in which dispositional differences in behavior influence the development of white matter. Future longitudinal studies are needed to resolve the causal nature of these sex-moderated associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B. Lahey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kendra E. Hinton
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Carol A. Van Hulle
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brooks Applegate
- Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Xiaochan Yang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David H. Zald
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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14
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Swift-Gallant A, Coome LA, Aitken M, Monks DA, VanderLaan DP. Evidence for distinct biodevelopmental influences on male sexual orientation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12787-12792. [PMID: 31182568 PMCID: PMC6600923 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809920116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several biological mechanisms have been proposed to influence male sexual orientation, but the extent to which these mechanisms cooccur is unclear. Putative markers of biological processes are often used to evaluate the biological basis of male sexual orientation, including fraternal birth order, handedness, and familiality of same-sex sexual orientation; these biomarkers are proxies for immunological, endocrine, and genetic mechanisms. Here, we used latent profile analysis (LPA) to assess whether these biomarkers cluster within the same individuals or are present in different subgroups of nonheterosexual men. LPA defined four profiles of men based on these biomarkers: 1) A subgroup who did not have these biomarkers, 2) fraternal birth order, 3) handedness, and 4) familiality. While the majority of both heterosexual and nonheterosexual men were grouped in the profile that did not have any biomarker, the three profiles associated with a biomarker were composed primarily of nonheterosexual men. We then evaluated whether these subgroups differed on measures of gender nonconformity and personality that reliably show male sexual orientation differences. The subgroup without biomarkers was the most gender-conforming whereas the fraternal birth order subgroup was the most female-typical and agreeable, compared with the other profiles. Together, these findings suggest there are multiple distinct biodevelopmental pathways influencing same-sex sexual orientation in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada;
| | - Lindsay A Coome
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Madison Aitken
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Child, Youth, and Emerging Adult Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada;
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
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15
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Manoli DS, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulatory mechanisms underlying sex differences in brain development and psychiatric disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1420:26-45. [PMID: 29363776 PMCID: PMC5991992 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sexual differentiation of the mammalian nervous system requires the precise coordination of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in diverse cell types. Sex hormones act at multiple developmental time points to specify sex-typical differentiation during embryonic and early development and to coordinate subsequent responses to gonadal hormones later in life by establishing sex-typical patterns of epigenetic modifications across the genome. Thus, mutations associated with neuropsychiatric conditions may result in sexually dimorphic symptoms by acting on different neural substrates or chromatin landscapes in males and females. Finally, as stress hormone signaling may directly alter the molecular machinery that interacts with sex hormone receptors to regulate gene expression, the contribution of chronic stress to the pathogenesis or presentation of mental illness may be additionally different between the sexes. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system and consider some of the implications of these processes for sex differences in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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16
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Forger NG, Ruszkowski E, Jacobs A, Wallen K. Effects of sex and prenatal androgen manipulations on Onuf's nucleus of rhesus macaques. Horm Behav 2018; 100:39-46. [PMID: 29510099 PMCID: PMC6084473 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The role of gonadal steroids in sexual differentiation of the central nervous system (CNS) is well established in rodents, but no study to date has manipulated androgens prenatally and examined their effects on any CNS structure in a primate. Onuf's nucleus is a column of motoneurons in the sacral spinal cord that innervates the striated perineal muscles. This cell group is larger in males than in females of many species, due to androgens acting during a sensitive perinatal period. Here, we examined Onuf's nucleus in 21 adult rhesus monkeys, including control males and females, as well as males whose mothers had been treated with an anti-androgen or testosterone during gestation. We found a robust sex difference, with more motoneurons in control males than in females. The soma size of Onuf's nucleus motoneurons was also marginally larger in males. Treatment with the anti-androgen flutamide for 35-40 days during early gestation partially blocked masculinization of Onuf's nucleus: motoneuron number in flutamide-treated males was decreased relative to control and testosterone-treated males, but remained greater than in females, with no effect on cell size. A control motor nucleus that innervates foot muscles (Pes9) showed no difference in motoneuron number or size between control males and females. Prenatal testosterone treatment of males did not alter Onuf's nucleus motoneuron number, but did increase the size of both Onuf's and Pes9 motoneurons. Thus, prenatal androgen manipulations cause cellular-level changes in the primate CNS, which may underlie previously observed effects of these manipulations on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy G Forger
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States.
| | - Elara Ruszkowski
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Andrew Jacobs
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States
| | - Kim Wallen
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
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17
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Goodrich-Hunsaker NJ, Abildskov TJ, Black G, Bigler ED, Cohen DM, Mihalov LK, Bangert BA, Taylor HG, Yeates KO. Age- and sex-related effects in children with mild traumatic brain injury on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging properties: A comparison of voxelwise and tractography methods. J Neurosci Res 2018; 96:626-641. [PMID: 28984377 PMCID: PMC5803411 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Although there are several techniques to analyze diffusion-weighted imaging, any technique must be sufficiently sensitive to detect clinical abnormalities. This is especially critical in disorders like mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), where pathology is likely to be subtle. mTBI represents a major public health concern, especially for youth under 15 years of age. However, the developmental period from birth to 18 years is also a time of tremendous brain changes. Therefore, it is important to establish the degree of age- and sex-related differences. Participants were children aged 8-15 years with mTBI or mild orthopedic injuries. Imaging was obtained within 10 days of injury. We performed tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), deterministic tractography using Automated Fiber Quantification (AFQ), and probabilistic tractography using TRACULA (TRActs Constrained by UnderLying Anatomy) to evaluate whether any method provided improved sensitivity at identifying group, developmental, and/or sex-related differences. Although there were no group differences from any of the three analyses, many of the tracts, but not all, revealed increases of fractional anisotropy and decreases of axial, radial, and mean diffusivity with age. TBSS analyses resulted in age-related changes across all white matter tracts. AFQ and TRACULA revealed age-related changes within the corpus callosum, cingulum cingulate, corticospinal tract, inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. The results are in many ways consistent across all three methods. However, results from the tractography methods provided improved sensitivity and better tract-specific results for identifying developmental and sex-related differences within the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Garrett Black
- Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Erin D. Bigler
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Daniel M. Cohen
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Leslie K. Mihalov
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Barbara A. Bangert
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - H. Gerry Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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18
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Manzouri A, Savic I. Cerebral sex dimorphism and sexual orientation. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:1175-1186. [PMID: 29227002 PMCID: PMC6866632 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of sexual orientation is frequently discussed in terms of cerebral sex dimorphism (defining both functional and structural sex differences). Yet, the information about possible cerebral differences between sex-matched homo and heterosexual persons is limited, particularly among women. In this multimodal MRI study, we addressed these issues by investigating possible cerebral differences between homo and heterosexual persons, and by asking whether there is any sex difference in this aspect. Measurements of cortical thickness (Cth), subcortical volumes, and functional and structural resting-state connections among 40 heterosexual males (HeM) and 40 heterosexual females (HeF) were compared with those of 30 homosexual males (HoM) and 30 homosexual females (HoF). Congruent with previous reports, sex differences were detected in heterosexual controls with regard to fractional anisotropy (FA), Cth, and several subcortical volumes. Homosexual groups did not display any sex differences in FA values. Furthermore, their functional connectivity was significantly less pronounced in the mesial prefrontal and precuneus regions. In these two particular regions, HoM also displayed thicker cerebral cortex than other groups, whereas HoF did not differ from HeF. In addition, in HoM the parietal Cth showed "sex-reversed" values, not observed in HoF. Homosexual orientation seems associated with a less pronounced sexual differentiation of white matter tracts and a less pronounced functional connectivity of the self-referential networks compared to heterosexual orientation. Analyses of Cth suggest that male and female homosexuality are not simple analogues of each other and that differences from heterosexual controls are more pronounced in HoM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Manzouri
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, and Neurology ClinicKarolinska Institutet and HospitalStickholmSE‐171 76Sweden
| | - Ivanka Savic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, and Neurology ClinicKarolinska Institutet and HospitalStickholmSE‐171 76Sweden
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19
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Gilmore JH, Knickmeyer RC, Gao W. Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood. Nat Rev Neurosci 2018; 19:123-137. [PMID: 29449712 PMCID: PMC5987539 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2018.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 471] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In humans, the period from term birth to ∼2 years of age is characterized by rapid and dynamic brain development and plays an important role in cognitive development and risk of disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Recent imaging studies have begun to delineate the growth trajectories of brain structure and function in the first years after birth and their relationship to cognition and risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. This Review discusses the development of grey and white matter and structural and functional networks, as well as genetic and environmental influences on early-childhood brain development. We also discuss initial evidence regarding the usefulness of early imaging biomarkers for predicting cognitive outcomes and risk of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, CB# 7160, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Knickmeyer
- Department of Psychiatry, CB# 7160, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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20
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Ho TC, Dennis EL, Thompson PM, Gotlib IH. Network-based approaches to examining stress in the adolescent brain. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 8:147-157. [PMID: 29888310 PMCID: PMC5991327 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress, particularly in periods of rapid brain maturation such as adolescence, can profoundly influence developmental processes that undergird the organization of structural and functional brain networks and that may mediate the association between stressful experiences and maladaptive outcomes. While studies in translational developmental neuroscience often focus on how specific brain regions or targeted connections are altered by stress and psychiatric disease, the emerging field of network science may be especially valuable for elucidating the impact of stress on the intricate connectomics of the adolescent brain. Here we review recent studies that use graph theory and other network science approaches to understand normative adolescent brain development, effects of childhood maltreatment on the brain, and disorders characterized by pathological responses to stress in adolescents. Overall, these studies demonstrate that graph theory can be useful in identifying and quantifying developmental processes related to segregation, integration, and localized hub influence that are affected by stress exposure and that may lead to psychopathology. Finally, we discuss limitations in the current application of graph theory in this area and suggest what we believe are important directions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily L. Dennis
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mary and Mark Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mary and Mark Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA
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21
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Fatemi F, Kantarci K, Graff-Radford J, Preboske GM, Weigand SD, Przybelski SA, Knopman DS, Machulda MM, Roberts RO, Mielke MM, Petersen RC, Jack CR, Vemuri P. Sex differences in cerebrovascular pathologies on FLAIR in cognitively unimpaired elderly. Neurology 2018; 90:e466-e473. [PMID: 29343465 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000004913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine sex differences in cerebrovascular pathologies (CVPs) as seen on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI and in cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in a population-based cognitively unimpaired cohort and to examine whether sex is independently associated with FLAIR findings after accounting for differences in important midlife risk factors. METHODS We identified 1,301 cognitively normal participants (663 men and 638 women) enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (age ≥70 years) who had FLAIR MRI and ascertained total burden of white matter (WM) hyperintensities (WMH), subcortical infarctions, and cortical infarctions. We compared CVPs and midlife and late-life vascular risk factors between men and women. We fit regression models with each CVP as an outcome, treating age, sex, and midlife risk factors as predictors. RESULTS Women had significantly greater WMH volume relative to their WM volume compared to men (2.8% vs 2.4% of WM, p < 0.001), while men had a greater frequency of cortical infarctions compared to women (9% vs 4%, p < 0.001). Subcortical infarctions were equally common in men and women (20%). In regression modeling after adjustment for WM volume, the mean WMH volume difference between men and women was of the same magnitude as a 7-year difference in age. In contrast, men had 2.2-greater relative odds of having a cortical infarction compared to women. These sex differences persisted even after adjustment for midlife vascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS There were important sex differences in CVP findings on FLAIR in cognitively unimpaired elderly. Understanding these sex differences could aid in the development of sex-specific preventive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzan Fatemi
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Kejal Kantarci
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Jonathan Graff-Radford
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Gregory M Preboske
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Stephen D Weigand
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Scott A Przybelski
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - David S Knopman
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Mary M Machulda
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Rosebud O Roberts
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Michelle M Mielke
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Ronald C Petersen
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Clifford R Jack
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Prashanthi Vemuri
- From the Departments of Radiology (F.F., K.K., G.M.P., C.R.J., P.V.), Health Sciences Research (S.D.W., S.A.P., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke), Neurology (J.G.-R., D.S.K., R.O.R., M.M. Mielke, R.C.P.), and Psychology (M.M. Machulda), Mayo Clinic Rochester; and School of Medicine (F.F.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
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22
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Coppieters I, De Pauw R, Caeyenberghs K, Lenoir D, DeBlaere K, Genbrugge E, Meeus M, Cagnie B. Differences in white matter structure and cortical thickness between patients with traumatic and idiopathic chronic neck pain: Associations with cognition and pain modulation? Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:1721-1742. [PMID: 29327392 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain alterations are hypothesized to be present in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (CWAD). The aim of this case-control study was to examine alterations in cortical thickness and white matter (WM) structure, and the presence of brain microhemorrhages in a patient group encountering chronic neck pain of traumatic origin (i.e., CWAD) when compared with a patient group characterized by nontraumatic chronic neck pain [i.e., chronic idiopathic neck pain (CINP)], and healthy controls. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate associations between brain structure on one hand and cognitive performance and central sensitization (CS) on the other hand. T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted and T2*-weighted magnetic resonance images of the brain were acquired in 105 women (31 controls, 37 CINP, 37 CWAD) to investigate regional cortical thickness, WM structure, and microhemorrhages, respectively. Next, cognitive performance, and CS encompassing distant hyperalgesia and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) efficacy were examined. Cortical thinning in the left precuneus was revealed in CWAD compared with CINP patients. Also, decreased fractional anisotropy, together with increased values of mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity could be observed in the left cingulum hippocampus and tapetum in CWAD compared with CINP, and in the left tapetum in CWAD patients compared with controls. Moreover, the extent of WM structural deficits in the left tapetum coincided with decreased CPM efficacy in the CWAD group. This yields evidence for associations between decreased endogenous pain inhibition, and the degree of regional WM deficits in CWAD. Our results emphasize the role of structural brain alterations in women with CWAD compared with CINP.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Coppieters
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Pain in Motion International Research Group (www.paininmotion.be).,Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy (KIMA), Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
| | - R De Pauw
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - K Caeyenberghs
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Banyo, Australia
| | - D Lenoir
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - K DeBlaere
- Department of Radiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - E Genbrugge
- Department of Radiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - M Meeus
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Pain in Motion International Research Group (www.paininmotion.be).,Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - B Cagnie
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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23
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Donishi T, Terada M, Kaneoke Y. Effects of gender, digit ratio, and menstrual cycle on intrinsic brain functional connectivity: A whole-brain, voxel-wise exploratory study using simultaneous local and global functional connectivity mapping. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00890. [PMID: 29568687 PMCID: PMC5853634 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gender and sex hormones influence brain function, but their effects on functional network organization within the brain are not yet understood. METHODS We investigated the influence of gender, prenatal sex hormones (estimated by the 2D:4D digit ratio), and the menstrual cycle on the intrinsic functional network organization of the brain (as measured by 3T resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI)) using right-handed, age-matched university students (100 males and 100 females). The mean (±SD) age was 20.9 ± 1.5 (range: 18-24) years and 20.8 ± 1.3 (range: 18-24) years for males and females, respectively. Using two parameters derived from the normalized alpha centrality analysis (one for local and another for global connectivity strength), we created mean functional connectivity strength maps. RESULTS There was a significant difference between the male mean map and female mean map in the distributions of network properties in almost all cortical regions and the basal ganglia but not in the medial parietal, limbic, and temporal regions and the thalamus. A comparison between the mean map for the low 2D:4D digit ratio group (indicative of high exposure to testosterone during the prenatal period) and that for the high 2D:4D digit ratio group revealed a significant difference in the network properties of the medial parietal region for males and in the temporal region for females. The menstrual cycle affected network organization in the brain, which varied with the 2D:4D digit ratio. Most of these findings were reproduced with our other datasets created with different preprocessing steps. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that differences in gender, prenatal sex hormone exposure, and the menstrual cycle are useful for understanding the normal brain and investigating the mechanisms underlying the variable prevalence and symptoms of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Donishi
- Department of System Neurophysiology Graduate School of Wakayama Medical University Wakayama Japan
| | | | - Yoshiki Kaneoke
- Department of System Neurophysiology Graduate School of Wakayama Medical University Wakayama Japan
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24
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Burke SM, Manzouri AH, Savic I. Structural connections in the brain in relation to gender identity and sexual orientation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17954. [PMID: 29263327 PMCID: PMC5738422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17352-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Both transgenderism and homosexuality are facets of human biology, believed to derive from different sexual differentiation of the brain. The two phenomena are, however, fundamentally unalike, despite an increased prevalence of homosexuality among transgender populations. Transgenderism is associated with strong feelings of incongruence between one's physical sex and experienced gender, not reported in homosexual persons. The present study searches to find neural correlates for the respective conditions, using fractional anisotropy (FA) as a measure of white matter connections that has consistently shown sex differences. We compared FA in 40 transgender men (female birth-assigned sex) and 27 transgender women (male birth-assigned sex), with both homosexual (29 male, 30 female) and heterosexual (40 male, 40 female) cisgender controls. Previously reported sex differences in FA were reproduced in cis-heterosexual groups, but were not found among the cis-homosexual groups. After controlling for sexual orientation, the transgender groups showed sex-typical FA-values. The only exception was the right inferior fronto-occipital tract, connecting parietal and frontal brain areas that mediate own body perception. Our findings suggest that the neuroanatomical signature of transgenderism is related to brain areas processing the perception of self and body ownership, whereas homosexuality seems to be associated with less cerebral sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Burke
- Brain & Development Research Centre, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Amir H Manzouri
- Stressmotagningen, S:t Göransgatan 84, 112 38, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ivanka Savic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Low carotid wall shear stress independently accelerates the progression of cognitive impairment and white matter lesions in the elderly. Oncotarget 2017. [PMID: 29541422 PMCID: PMC5834267 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The association of hemodynamics with cognitive impairment and white matter lesions (WMLs) has come to the foreground in recent years. Six hundred eighty-nine elderly participants aged ≥60 years were eligible enrolled. After an average of 5.4 years follow-up, there was a significant decline in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and increases in total white matter hyperintensities (WMH), periventricular (P)WMH, and deep (D)WMH (P < 0.001). The participants were grouped by the tertiles of carotid mean wall shear stress (WSS). The decline in MMSE scores and the increases in total WMH, PWMH, and DWMH decreased from the lowest group to the highest group. There were significant differences between each group comparison (all P <0.05). Mean WSS was an independent and significant factor for the changes in MMSE scores, total WMH, PWMH, and DWMH after adjustment for confounders (P <0.001). The risk of developing cognitive impairment was higher in the lowest (hazard ratio: 2.753; 95% CI: 1.945 to 3.895; P < 0.001) and intermediate (hazard ratio: 1.531; 95% CI: 1.084 to 2.162; P = 0.015) groups than in the highest group after adjustment for confounders. Similar associations were yielded between peak WSS and the changes in MMSE scores, total WMH, PWMH, and DWMH. Our results indicated that carotid WSS is an independent factor for the progression of cognitive impairment and WMLs in the elderly. Low WSS significantly deteriorates the progression of cognitive impairment and WMLs.
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26
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Jahanshad N, Thompson PM. Multimodal neuroimaging of male and female brain structure in health and disease across the life span. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:371-379. [PMID: 27870421 PMCID: PMC5119539 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in brain development and aging are important to identify, as they may help to understand risk factors and outcomes in brain disorders that are more prevalent in one sex compared with the other. Brain imaging techniques have advanced rapidly in recent years, yielding detailed structural and functional maps of the living brain. Even so, studies are often limited in sample size, and inconsistent findings emerge, one example being varying findings regarding sex differences in the size of the corpus callosum. More recently, large‐scale neuroimaging consortia such as the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis Consortium have formed, pooling together expertise, data, and resources from hundreds of institutions around the world to ensure adequate power and reproducibility. These initiatives are helping us to better understand how brain structure is affected by development, disease, and potential modulators of these effects, including sex. This review highlights some established and disputed sex differences in brain structure across the life span, as well as pitfalls related to interpreting sex differences in health and disease. We also describe sex‐related findings from the ENIGMA consortium, and ongoing efforts to better understand sex differences in brain circuitry. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Neuroscience Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
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27
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Abi Ghanem C, Degerny C, Hussain R, Liere P, Pianos A, Tourpin S, Habert R, Macklin WB, Schumacher M, Ghoumari AM. Long-lasting masculinizing effects of postnatal androgens on myelin governed by the brain androgen receptor. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007049. [PMID: 29107990 PMCID: PMC5690690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The oligodendrocyte density is greater and myelin sheaths are thicker in the adult male mouse brain when compared with females. Here, we show that these sex differences emerge during the first 10 postnatal days, precisely at a stage when a late wave of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells arises and starts differentiating. Androgen levels, analyzed by gas chromatography/tandem-mass spectrometry, were higher in males than in females during this period. Treating male pups with flutamide, an androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, or female pups with 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT), revealed the importance of postnatal androgens in masculinizing myelin and their persistent effect into adulthood. A key role of the brain AR in establishing the sexual phenotype of myelin was demonstrated by its conditional deletion. Our results uncover a new persistent effect of postnatal AR signaling, with implications for neurodevelopmental disorders and sex differences in multiple sclerosis. Sex differences in brain structure are of great scientific and medical interest because the incidence and progress of many neurological and psychiatric disorders differ between males and females. They affect neural networks and also the myelin sheaths that insulate and protect axons and thus allow the rapid conduction of electrical impulses. In the central nervous system, myelin is formed by a particular type of cells named oligodendrocytes. In the male mouse brain, the density of oligodendrocytes is greater and myelin sheaths are thicker when compared with females. We show that these sex differences in myelin result from the long-lasting actions of androgens in males during their first 10 postnatal days. Importantly, the postnatal masculinizing effects of androgens involve brain androgen receptors as shown by the use of pharmacological and genetic tools. These findings are important for understanding sex-related differences in the susceptibility and progression of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. They also reveal a so far unknown role of androgen receptor signaling in sexual differentiation of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charly Abi Ghanem
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Cindy Degerny
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Rashad Hussain
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Philippe Liere
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Antoine Pianos
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Sophie Tourpin
- U566 Inserm, CEA, Universities Paris-Diderot and Paris-Sud, Fontenay aux Roses, France
| | - René Habert
- U566 Inserm, CEA, Universities Paris-Diderot and Paris-Sud, Fontenay aux Roses, France
| | - Wendy B. Macklin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Michael Schumacher
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- * E-mail: (AMG); (MS)
| | - Abdel M. Ghoumari
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- * E-mail: (AMG); (MS)
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28
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Dean DC, Planalp EM, Wooten W, Adluru N, Kecskemeti SR, Frye C, Schmidt CK, Schmidt NL, Styner MA, Goldsmith HH, Davidson RJ, Alexander AL. Mapping White Matter Microstructure in the One Month Human Brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9759. [PMID: 28852074 PMCID: PMC5575288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09915-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter microstructure, essential for efficient and coordinated transmission of neural communications, undergoes pronounced development during the first years of life, while deviations to this neurodevelopmental trajectory likely result in alterations of brain connectivity relevant to behavior. Hence, systematic evaluation of white matter microstructure in the normative brain is critical for a neuroscientific approach to both typical and atypical early behavioral development. However, few studies have examined the infant brain in detail, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Here, we utilize quantitative techniques of diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging to investigate neonatal white matter microstructure in 104 infants. An optimized multiple b-value diffusion protocol was developed to allow for successful acquisition during non-sedated sleep. Associations between white matter microstructure measures and gestation corrected age, regional asymmetries, infant sex, as well as newborn growth measures were assessed. Results highlight changes of white matter microstructure during the earliest periods of development and demonstrate differential timing of developing regions and regional asymmetries. Our results contribute to a growing body of research investigating the neurobiological changes associated with neurodevelopment and suggest that characteristics of white matter microstructure are already underway in the weeks immediately following birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - E M Planalp
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - W Wooten
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - N Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - S R Kecskemeti
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - C Frye
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - C K Schmidt
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - N L Schmidt
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - M A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - H H Goldsmith
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - R J Davidson
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - A L Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
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29
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Baum MJ, Bakker J. Reconsidering Prenatal Hormonal Influences on Human Sexual Orientation: Lessons from Animal Research. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1601-1605. [PMID: 28474307 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-0994-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Baum
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Julie Bakker
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium
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30
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Savic I, Frisen L, Manzouri A, Nordenstrom A, Lindén Hirschberg A. Role of testosterone and Y chromosome genes for the masculinization of the human brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:1801-1814. [PMID: 28070912 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) have a male (46,XY) karyotype but no functional androgen receptors. Their condition, therefore, offers a unique model for studying testosterone effects on cerebral sex dimorphism. We present MRI data from 16 women with CAIS and 32 male (46,XY) and 32 female (46,XX) controls. METHODS FreeSurfer software was employed to measure cortical thickness and subcortical structural volumes. Axonal connections, indexed by fractional anisotropy, (FA) were measured with diffusion tensor imaging, and functional connectivity with resting state fMRI. RESULTS Compared to men, CAIS women displayed a "female" pattern by having thicker parietal and occipital cortices, lower FA values in the right corticospinal, superior and inferior longitudinal tracts, and corpus callosum. Their functional connectivity from the amygdala to the medial prefrontal cortex, was stronger and amygdala-connections to the motor cortex weaker than in control men. CAIS and control women also showed stronger posterior cingulate and precuneus connections in the default mode network. Thickness of the motor cortex, the caudate volume, and the FA in the callosal body followed, however, a "male" pattern. CONCLUSION Altogether, these data suggest that testosterone modulates the microstructure of somatosensory and visual cortices and their axonal connections to the frontal cortex. Testosterone also influenced functional connections from the amygdala, whereas the motor cortex could, in agreement with our previous reports, be moderated by processes linked to X-chromosome gene dosage. These data raise the question about other genetic factors masculinizing the human brain than the SRY gene and testosterone. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1801-1814, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivanka Savic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden.,Department of Neurology, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Louise Frisen
- Dept of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Amirhossein Manzouri
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Anna Nordenstrom
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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