An extreme incongruence between sex and gender identity leads individuals with gender dysphoria (GD) to seek cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT), and gender-affirming surgery (GAS). Although few studies have investigated the effects of CSHT on the brain prior to GAS, no studies in the extant literature have evaluated its impact during hypogonadism in post-GAS individuals. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of estradiol on resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and basal ganglia following surgical hypogonadism. Eighteen post-GAS (male-to-female) participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropsychiatric and hormonal assessment at two time points (t1, hormonal washout; t2, CSHT reintroduction). Based on the literature, the thalamus was selected as a seed, while the SMC and the dorsolateral striatum were targets for seed-based functional connectivity (sbFC). A second sbFC investigation consisted of a whole-brain voxel exploratory analysis again using the thalamus as a seed. A final complementary data-driven approach using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) was conducted to identify a potential seed for further sbFC analyses. An increase in the rs-FC between the left thalamus and the left SCM/putamen followed CSHT. MVPA identified a cluster within the subcallosal cortex (SubCalC) representing the highest variation in peak activation between time points. Setting the SubCalC as a seed, whole-brain analysis showed a decoupling between the SubCalC and the medial frontal cortex during CSHT. These results indicate that CSHT with estradiol post-GAS, modulates rs-FC in regions engaged in cognitive, emotional, and sensorimotor processes.
For transgender individuals, gender-affirming surgery (GAS) and cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) are part of the gender transition process. Scientific evidence supporting the maintenance of CSHT after GAS-related gonadectomy is accumulating. However, few data are available on the impact of CSHT on the brain structure following hypogonadism. Thus, we aimed to investigate links between estradiol and brain cortical thickness (CTh) and cognition in 18 post-gonadectomy transgender women using a longitudinal de-sign. For this purpose, the participants underwent a voluntary period of CSHT washout of at least 30 days, followed by estradiol re-institution for 60 days. High-resolution T1weighted brain images, hormonal measures, working and verbal memory were collected at 2 time points: on the last day of the washout (t1) and on the last day of the 2-month CSHT period (t2). Between these 2 time points, CTh increased within the left precentral gyrus and right precuneus but decreased within the right lateral occipital cortex. However, these findings did not survive corrections of multiple comparisons. Nevertheless, there was a significant negative correlation between changes in estradiol levels and changes in CTh. This effect was evident in the left superior frontal gyrus, the left middle temporal gyrus, the right precuneus, the right superior temporal gyrus, and the right pars opercularis. Al-Schneider et al.though there was an improvement in verbal memory following hypogonadism correction, we did not observe a significant relationship between changes in memory scores and CTh. Altogether, these findings suggest that there is a link between estradiol and CTh.
Introdução: A internação psiquiátrica é um recurso terapêutico utilizado para a estabilização dos sintomas, contenção de riscos, elucidação diagnóstica e planejamento terapêutico. O psicodiagnóstico permite acesso a questões emocionais e cognitivas do indivíduo. Objetiva-se apresentar um panorama referente à realização de psicodiagnósticos em leitos da especialidade da Psiquiatria Infância e Adolescência de um hospital geral nos anos 2015, 2016 e 2017. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, em que foram obtidas informações a partir do prontuário eletrônico de pacientes internados em leitos da especialidade. Os dados analisados foram sexo, idade, naturalidade, realização de psicodiagnóstico, motivo e tempo de internação. Resultados: Durante o triênio estudado, houve realização de psicodiagnóstico em 65,1% das internações. Entretanto, constatou-se diminuição estatisticamente significativamente (p = 0,006) no número de psicodiagnósticos em relação ao número de internações: 82% em 2015; 63% em 2016; e 53% em 2017. Conclusão: Esta diminuição no número de psicodiagnósticos realizados durante a internação indica que houve uma mudança nesse processo, onde se passou de um período em que a grande maioria das crianças e adolescentes (82%) realizava a avaliação, para um panorama onde metade dos pacientes (53%) realiza o psicodiagnóstico. Esse resultado sugere que estratégias de psicoeducação, voltadas para equipes assistentes, tendo por objetivo otimizar custo-efetividade e qualidade da assistência, levaram esses profissionais a refletirem sobre relevância, riscos e benefícios da realização do psicodiagnóstico durante a internação psiquiátrica de crianças e adolescentes.
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