Sex-linked white matter microstructure of the social and analytic brain

Chou, Kun Hsien; Cheng, Yawei; Chen, I-Yun; Lin, Ching-Po; Chu, Woei-Chyn

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.07.010

Cited by 68 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 94 publications

(93 reference statements)

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“…Males have more rapid increases in white matter volume during development (45) and have greater structural integrity in white matter tracts connecting the vmPFC and amygdala/hippocampus (46,47). These differences may confer greater protection in males following maltreatment experiences, although this hypothesis would require further study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered fear circuitry and increased internalizing symptoms by late adolescence

Herringa

Birn

Ruttle

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

356

314

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Maltreatment during childhood is a major risk factor for anxiety and depression, which are major public health problems. However, the underlying brain mechanism linking maltreatment and internalizing disorders remains poorly understood. Maltreatment may alter the activation of fear circuitry, but little is known about its impact on the connectivity of this circuitry in adolescence and whether such brain changes actually lead to internalizing symptoms. We examined the associations between experiences of maltreatment during childhood, resting-state functional brain connectivity (rs-FC) of the amygdala and hippocampus, and internalizing symptoms in 64 adolescents participating in a longitudinal community study. Childhood experiences of maltreatment were associated with lower hippocampus-subgenual cingulate rs-FC in both adolescent females and males and lower amygdalasubgenual cingulate rs-FC in females only. Furthermore, rs-FC mediated the association of maltreatment during childhood with adolescent internalizing symptoms. Thus, maltreatment in childhood, even at the lower severity levels found in a community sample, may alter the regulatory capacity of the brain's fear circuit, leading to increased internalizing symptoms by late adolescence. These findings highlight the importance of fronto-hippocampal connectivity for both sexes in internalizing symptoms following maltreatment in childhood. Furthermore, the impact of maltreatment during childhood on both fronto-amygdala and -hippocampal connectivity in females may help explain their higher risk for internalizing disorders such as anxiety and depression.child maltreatment | sex differences | ventromedial prefrontal cortex I n both clinical and community samples, maltreatment during childhood represents one of the strongest risk factors for developing depression and anxiety (1-3). Childhood maltreatment and other adversities account for up to a third of the risk for mood and anxiety disorders (4). Further, depression and anxiety disorders are major public health problems, affecting 15 and 32% of youth, respectively, by the age of 18 y (5). The burden of these disorders is significant, representing the second and fifth leading causes, respectively, of years lived with disability in the United States (6). Some evidence suggests that maltreatment may impart greater risk for the development of internalizing symptoms in females than in males (e.g., refs. 7-9). This differential risk could account, in part, for the higher incidence of internalizing problems in females than in males (10, 11). However, the neurobiological pathways from maltreatment during childhood to the expression of internalizing problems, including potential differences for females and males, remain poorly understood. Such information is crucial for improving the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders and for mitigating the effects of maltreatment during childhood.Both maltreatment during childhood (12) and internalizing disorders (13, 14) have been associated with altered activity in specific b...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered fear circuitry and increased internalizing symptoms by late adolescence

Herringa

Birn

Ruttle

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

356

314

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…These sex differences may therefore emerge in adolescence, as FA increases more rapidly in males than females across this time period, driven by reduction in RD. However, it is important to note that some studies have shown more focal differences in the thalamus, corpus callosum, cingulum, and superior cerebellar peduncles 136, 137 , and some studies also show regions of increased FA in adult females compared with males, including the corpus callosum and fronto-occipital fasciculus 137, 138 .…”

Section: Influences Of Genes and Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood

2018

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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 for 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 for neuropsychiatric disorders. This Review discusses the development of grey and white matter, 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 for neuropsychiatric disorders.

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“…As a consequence, the formation of neural circuits in the brain, whether structural or functional, is also affected, leading to sex differences in synaptic plasticity [3] and brain organization [4, 5]. Neuroimaging studies have revealed sexual dimorphism in anatomical networks of several brain regions, including both cortical and subcortical regions, such as the volume of white and gray matter [6–9]. At the functional level, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) studies in animals and humans have demonstrated sex differences in the activation pattern of large-scale neuronal circuits during cognitive tasks (related to emotional perception and memory, fear conditioning and visuospatial properties) or during resting state conditions [10–15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in endogenous cortical network activity: spontaneously recurring Up/Down states

Sigalas¹,

Konsolaki²,

Skaliora³

2017

Biol Sex Differ

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BackgroundSeveral molecular and cellular processes in the vertebrate brain exhibit differences between males and females, leading to sexual dimorphism in the formation of neural circuits and brain organization. While studies on large-scale brain networks provide ample evidence for both structural and functional sex differences, smaller-scale local networks have remained largely unexplored. In the current study, we investigate sexual dimorphism in cortical dynamics by means of spontaneous Up/Down states, a type of network activity that is exhibited during slow-wave sleep, quiet wakefulness, and anesthesia and is thought to represent the default activity of the cortex.MethodsUp state activity was monitored by local field potential recordings in coronal brain slices of male and female mice across three ages with distinct secretion profiles of sex hormones: (i) pre-puberty (17–21 days old), (ii) 3–9 adult (months old), and (iii) old (19–24 months old).ResultsFemale mice of all ages exhibited longer and more frequent Up states compared to aged-matched male mice. Power spectrum analysis revealed sex differences in the relative power of Up state events, with female mice showing reduced power in the delta range (1–4 Hz) and increased power in the theta range (4–8 Hz) compared to male mice. No sex differences were found in the characteristics of Up state peak voltage and latency.ConclusionsThe present study revealed for the first time sex differences in intracortical network activity, using an ex vivo paradigm of spontaneously occurring Up/Down states. We report significant sex differences in Up state properties that are already present in pre-puberty animals and are maintained through adulthood and old age.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13293-017-0143-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Sex-linked white matter microstructure of the social and analytic brain

Cited by 68 publications

References 94 publications

Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered fear circuitry and increased internalizing symptoms by late adolescence

Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered fear circuitry and increased internalizing symptoms by late adolescence

Imaging structural and functional brain development in early childhood

Sex differences in endogenous cortical network activity: spontaneously recurring Up/Down states

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