The human hippocampus is not sexually-dimorphic: Meta-analysis of structural MRI volumes

Tan, Anh; Ma, Wei; Vira, Amit; Marwha, Dhruv; Eliot, Lise

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.050

Cited by 161 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 139 publications

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“…Moreover, results based on one level of analyses do not allow for sweeping conclusions. For instance, the claim that the 'human hippocampus is not sexually dimorphic' is unfounded because it is based entirely on volumetric analyses using MRI [10]. There are many ways for the brain to differ in males and females that do not involve size.…”

Section: Sex Versus Gendermentioning

confidence: 99%

Multifaceted origins of sex differences in the brain

McCarthy

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

145

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Studies of sex differences in the brain range from reductionistic cell and molecular analyses in animal models to functional imaging in awake human subjects, with many other levels in between. Interpretations and conclusions about the importance of particular differences often vary with differing levels of analyses and can lead to discord and dissent. In the past two decades, the range of neurobiological, psychological and psychiatric endpoints found to differ between males and females has expanded beyond reproduction into every aspect of the healthy and diseased brain, and thereby demands our attention. A greater understanding of all aspects of neural functioning will only be achieved by incorporating sex as a biological variable. The goal of this review is to highlight the current state of the art of the discipline of sex differences research with an emphasis on the brain and to contextualize the articles appearing in the accompanying special issue.

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Section: Sex Versus Gendermentioning

confidence: 99%

Multifaceted origins of sex differences in the brain

McCarthy

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

145

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“…Sexual dimorphism in hippocampus-dependent behaviors suggests that there could be differences in the anatomical organization of hippocampal circuitry in males and females. However, a several studies have failed to reveal significant differences in hippocampal volume between men and women after correcting for total intracranial volume [20–23], although some have reported a larger hippocampus in women than in men [24,25]. In addition, when the anterior and posterior hippocampal regions were considered separately, one study reported that women exhibited a larger posterior hippocampus than men after normalizing to brain size [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Long-Term Potentiation at Temporoammonic-CA1 Synapses: Potential Implications for Memory Consolidation

Zhang

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

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Sex differences in spatial memory have long been observed in humans, non-human primates and rodents, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for these differences remain obscure. In the present study we found that adolescent male rats outperformed female rats in 7 d and 28 d retention probes, but not in learning trials and immediate probes, in the Morris water maze task. Male rats also had larger long-term potentiation (LTP) at hippocampal temproammonic-CA1 (TA-CA1) synapses, which have been implicated to play a key role in place field and memory consolidation, when protocols designed to elicit late-stage LTP (LLTP) were used. Interestingly, the ratio of evoked AMPA/NMDA currents was found to be smaller at TA-CA1 synapses in male rats compared to female rats. Protein biotinylation experiments showed that male rats expressed more surface GluN1 receptors in hippocampal CA1 stratum lacunosum-moleculare (SLM) than female rats, although GluA1 expression was also slightly higher in male rats. Taken together, our results suggest that differences in the expression of AMPA and NMDA receptors may affect LTP expression at TA-CA1 synapses in adolescent male and female rats, and thus possibly contribute to the observed sex difference in spatial memory.

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“…26,27 Meta-analysis demonstrated reduced hippocampus volume in many neuropsychiatric disorders commonly found in women. 27 Therefore, researchers assumed that the smaller hippocampus volume of women contributed to increased vulnerability of neuropsychiatric disorders. 27 However, there are conflicting results about the hippocampus volume after correction for brain size.…”

Section: Hippocampusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…27 Therefore, researchers assumed that the smaller hippocampus volume of women contributed to increased vulnerability of neuropsychiatric disorders. 27 However, there are conflicting results about the hippocampus volume after correction for brain size. 27 Hippocampus volume/ICV was bigger in females than in males, but when comparing the hippocampus volume of samples matched for brain volume, there was no significant difference.…”

Section: Hippocampusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…27 However, there are conflicting results about the hippocampus volume after correction for brain size. 27 Hippocampus volume/ICV was bigger in females than in males, but when comparing the hippocampus volume of samples matched for brain volume, there was no significant difference. 27 This study suggested that there is no sexual difference in hippocampus volume and the difference in hippocampus volume/ICV came from the ICV difference of the 2 sexes.…”

Section: Hippocampusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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