Sex differences on prefrontally-dependent cognitive tasks

Evans, Kelly; Hampson, Elizabeth

doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2014.11.006

Cited by 68 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 114 publications

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“…Sex differences were absent in the numbers of trials to acquire the reversals, as well as in response latencies and accuracy on the DR task. This is in contrast to a few humans studies, which reported a male advantage for Reversal Learning in children (Overman 2004) and adults (Evans and Hampson 2015a, b) and a female advantage in working memory (Duff and Hampson 2001). Interestingly, Duff and Hampson (2001) also found a female advantage in the time to complete the task.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies have implicated circulating T in the ability to perform PFC-dependent task like the IGT in humans (Evans and Hampson 2015b; Reavis and Overman 2001; Stanton et al 2011; van Honk et al 2004), with T benefiting performance. In our study, T replacement did not affect performance on the Reversal Learning and DR tasks, unlike E2 in females (Lacreuse et al 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reversal learning in gonadectomized marmosets with and without hormone replacement: are males more sensitive to punishment?

LaClair

Lacreuse

2016

Anim Cogn

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This study examined sex differences in executive function in middle-aged gonadectomized marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) with or without hormonal replacement. We tested ten castrated male (mean age 5.5 years) marmosets treated with testosterone cypionate (T, n = 5) or vehicle (n = 5) on Reversal Learning, which contributes to cognitive flexibility, and the Delayed Response task, measuring working memory. Their performance was compared to that of 11 ovariectomized females (mean age = 3.7 years) treated with Silastic capsules filled with 17-β estradiol (E2, n = 6) or empty capsules (n = 5), previously tested on the same tasks (Lacreuse et al. in J Neuroendocrinol 26:296–309, 2014. doi:10.1111/jne. 12147). Behavioral observations were conducted daily. Females exhibited more locomotor behaviors than males. Males and females did not differ in the number of trials taken to reach criterion on the reversals, but males had significantly longer response latencies, regardless of hormone replacement. They also had a greater number of refusals than females. Additionally, both control and T-treated males, but not females, had slower responses on incorrect trials, suggesting that males were making errors due to distraction, lack of motivation or uncertainty. Furthermore, although both males and females had slower responding following an incorrect compared to a correct trial, the sex difference in response latencies was disproportionally large following an incorrect trial. No sex difference was found in the Delayed Response task. Overall, slower response latencies in males than females during Reversal Learning, especially during and following an incorrect trial, may reflect greater sensitivity to punishment (omission of reward) and greater performance monitoring in males, compared to females. Because these differences occurred in gonadectomized animals and regardless of hormone replacement, they may be organized early in life.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reversal learning in gonadectomized marmosets with and without hormone replacement: are males more sensitive to punishment?

LaClair

Lacreuse

2016

Anim Cogn

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“…Performance on the IGT is based on localized but also on distributed mental information processes such as memory functioning, which are sensitive to age [16,50,72]. We did not find gender to affect the course of net block scores, although in previous studies in healthy subjects a female disadvantage on the IGT has been described [49,73]. Similar to previous studies, we found healthy females to be better in recognizing fear than healthy males [9].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

To Fear Is to Gain? The Role of Fear Recognition in Risky Decision Making in TBI Patients and Healthy Controls

et al. 2016

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Fear is an important emotional reaction that guides decision making in situations of ambiguity or uncertainty. Both recognition of facial expressions of fear and decision making ability can be impaired after traumatic brain injury (TBI), in particular when the frontal lobe is damaged. So far, it has not been investigated how recognition of fear influences risk behavior in healthy subjects and TBI patients. The ability to recognize fear is thought to be related to the ability to experience fear and to use it as a warning signal to guide decision making. We hypothesized that a better ability to recognize fear would be related to a better regulation of risk behavior, with healthy controls outperforming TBI patients. To investigate this, 59 healthy subjects and 49 TBI patients were assessed with a test for emotion recognition (Facial Expression of Emotion: Stimuli and Tests) and a gambling task (Iowa Gambling Task (IGT)). The results showed that, regardless of post traumatic amnesia duration or the presence of frontal lesions, patients were more impaired than healthy controls on both fear recognition and decision making. In both groups, a significant relationship was found between better fear recognition, the development of an advantageous strategy across the IGT and less risk behavior in the last blocks of the IGT. Educational level moderated this relationship in the final block of the IGT. This study has important clinical implications, indicating that impaired decision making and risk behavior after TBI can be preceded by deficits in the processing of fear.

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“…There are also reports of sex differences in executive function [35,36]. In the Iowa Gambling task, which requires subjects to identify which of four decks is more advantageous based on feedback received, a male advantage has consistently been found (e.g., [35,[37][38][39]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Iowa Gambling task, which requires subjects to identify which of four decks is more advantageous based on feedback received, a male advantage has consistently been found (e.g., [35,[37][38][39]). In contrast, females appear to be advantaged in working memory tasks that emphasize monitoring and updating [40,41].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%