Females exhibit smaller volumes of brain activation and lower inter-subject variability during motor tasks

Abstract

Past work has shown that brain structure and function differ between females and males. Males have larger cortical and sub-cortical volume and surface area (both total and subregional), while females have greater cortical thickness in most brain regions. Functional differences are also reported in the literature, yet to date little work has systematically considered whether patterns of brain activity indexed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) differ between females and males. The current study sought to remediate this issue by employing task-based whole brain motor mapping analyses using an openly available dataset. We tested differences in patterns of functional brain activity associated with 12 voluntary movement patterns in females versus males. Results suggest that females exhibited smaller volumes of brain activation across all 12 movement tasks, and lower patterns of variability in 10 of the 12 movements. We also observed that females had greater cortical thickness, which is in alignment with previous analyses of structural differences. Overall, these findings provide a basis for considering biological sex in future fMRI research and provide a foundation of understanding differences in how neurological pathologies present in females vs males.

Investigating female versus male differences in white matter neuroplasticity associated with complex visuo-motor learning

“…It is interesting to note that differences in structural WM were noted between females and males even though the pattern of behavioural change did not differ between the groups. The structural MRI evidence is consistent with fMRI studies of female versus male fMRI activation differences 68 – 73 . Gorbet et al 72 determined that performance between females and males in an increasingly complex visuo-motor task did not differ, but showed differences in fMRI activity between females and males.…”

“…Less variability and increased thickness may lead to more focal neural processing. Functionally, this has been demonstrated by Andrushko et al 73 where greater functional volumes and larger inter-subject variability of fMRI activation was observed in males compared to females across 12 different voluntary motor tasks. Thus, a more focal and consistent neural signaling was noted in females during voluntary motor movements 73 .…”

“…Functionally, this has been demonstrated by Andrushko et al 73 where greater functional volumes and larger inter-subject variability of fMRI activation was observed in males compared to females across 12 different voluntary motor tasks. Thus, a more focal and consistent neural signaling was noted in females during voluntary motor movements 73 . While not fully understood, these data hint at the possibility that different neural processes underpin brain activity in females versus males.…”

An objective neurophysiological study of subconcussion in female and male high school student athletes

“…A comparable impact may be a consideration for enhanced sustained attention processing in female athletes. Given recent advances in understanding functional neuroanatomical differences (Andrushko et al 2023), further studies needed to better characterize female- versus male- specific subconcussive profiles.…”