Gender differences and age-related white matter changes of the human brain: A diffusion tensor imaging study

Hsu, Jung Lung; Leemans, Alexander; Bai, Chyi Huey; Lee, Cheng Hui; Tsai, Yuh Feng; Chiu, Hou Chang; Chen, Wei Hung

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.09.017

Cited by 290 publications

(258 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Throughout the developmental period, females displayed higher FA and lower MD in the midadolescent age (12-14 y) (23), and this result was established on a larger sample size (114 subjects) as well (24). On the other hand, sex differences on the entire age range (childhood to old age) demonstrated higher FA and lower MD in males (19,25,26). Similar findings of higher FA in males were obtained with tractography on major WM tracts (27,28).…”

supporting

confidence: 76%

Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain

Ingalhalikar

Smith

Parker

et al. 2013

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

1,020

621

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Sex differences in human behavior show adaptive complementarity: Males have better motor and spatial abilities, whereas females have superior memory and social cognition skills. Studies also show sex differences in human brains but do not explain this complementarity. In this work, we modeled the structural connectome using diffusion tensor imaging in a sample of 949 youths (aged 8-22 y, 428 males and 521 females) and discovered unique sex differences in brain connectivity during the course of development. Connection-wise statistical analysis, as well as analysis of regional and global network measures, presented a comprehensive description of network characteristics. In all supratentorial regions, males had greater within-hemispheric connectivity, as well as enhanced modularity and transitivity, whereas between-hemispheric connectivity and cross-module participation predominated in females. However, this effect was reversed in the cerebellar connections. Analysis of these changes developmentally demonstrated differences in trajectory between males and females mainly in adolescence and in adulthood. Overall, the results suggest that male brains are structured to facilitate connectivity between perception and coordinated action, whereas female brains are designed to facilitate communication between analytical and intuitive processing modes. diffusion imaging | gender differences S ex differences are of enduring scientific and societal interest because of their prominence in the behavior of humans and nonhuman species (1). Behavioral differences may stem from complementary roles in procreation and social structure; examples include enhanced motor and spatial skills and greater proclivity for physical aggression in males and enhanced verbally mediated memory and social cognition in females (2, 3). With the advent of neuroimaging, multiple studies have found sex differences in the brain (4) that could underlie the behavioral differences. Males have larger crania, proportionate to their larger body size, and a higher percentage of white matter (WM), which contains myelinated axonal fibers, and cerebrospinal fluid (5), whereas women demonstrate a higher percentage of gray matter after correcting for intracranial volume effect (6). Sex differences in the relative size and shape of specific brain structures have also been reported (7), including the hippocampus, amygdala (8, 9), and corpus callosum (CC) (10). Furthermore, developmental differences in tissue growth suggest that there is an anatomical sex difference during maturation (11,12), although links to observed behavioral differences have not been established.Recent studies have used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to characterize WM architecture and underlying fiber tracts by exploiting the anisotropic water diffusion in WM (13-15). Examination of DTI-based scalar measures (16) of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) has demonstrated diverse outcomes that include increased FA and decreased MD in males in major WM regions (17-19), higher CC-specific...

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supporting

confidence: 76%

Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain

Ingalhalikar

Smith

Parker

et al. 2013

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

1,020

621

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Third, this work combined subjects with no regard for their gender. Recent tractography studies have shown significant sex‐specific differences in white matter microstructure (Hsu et al., 2008; Kanaan et al., 2012). Future studies, aimed at establishing a normal reference standard, should consider such gender differences, as is common practice in pediatric growth curves (Barbier et al., 2013; Zong & Li, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐angular resolution diffusion imaging tractography of cerebellar pathways from newborns to young adults

Levman

Lim

et al. 2016

Brain and Behavior

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IntroductionMany neurologic and psychiatric disorders are thought to be due to, or result in, developmental errors in neuronal cerebellar connectivity. In this connectivity analysis, we studied the developmental time‐course of cerebellar peduncle pathways in pediatric and young adult subjects.MethodsA cohort of 80 subjects, newborns to young adults, was studied on a 3T MR system with 30 diffusion‐weighted measurements with high‐angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) tractography.ResultsQualitative and quantitative results were analyzed for age‐based variation. In subjects of all ages, the superior cerebellar peduncle pathway (SCP) and two distinct subpathways of the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), as described in previous ex vivo studies, were identified in vivo with this technique: pathways between the rostral pons and inferior‐lateral cerebellum (MCP cog), associated predominantly with higher cognitive function, and pathways between the caudal pons and superior‐medial cerebellum (MCP mot), associated predominantly with motor function.DiscussionOur findings showed that the inferior cerebellar peduncle pathway (ICP), involved primarily in proprioception and balance appears to have a later onset followed by more rapid development than that exhibited in other tracts. We hope that this study may provide an initial point of reference for future studies of normal and pathologic development of cerebellar connectivity.

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“…Another weakness was that the SCI patients and controls were not age-or gender-matched. The possible confounding effects of age and gender 32 were addressed with statistical methods. Lastly, the ROI method that we used did not allow us to separate the motor and sensory tracts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical correlates of cerebral diffusion tensor imaging findings in chronic traumatic spinal cord injury

et al. 2014

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Study design: Prospective clinical case-control study. Objectives: The aim of this study was to use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess the state of cerebral white matter tracts after spinal cord injury (SCI). The DTI metrics were evaluated in relation to neurological deficits and to the size and level of the spinal cord lesions. Setting: Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Methods: Thirty-four patients (n ¼ 34) with clinically complete and incomplete SCI were evaluated using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI). DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)) were calculated for multiple levels along the course of the corticospinal tract. The state of the spinal cord after injury was assessed using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). DTI parameters were compared with 40 orthopedically injured control subjects. Results: Statistically significant differences in the DTI values between patients and controls were detected in the posterior area of the centrum semiovale. In this area, the FA values were lower in the patients compared with controls (P ¼ 0.008). For patients with clinically complete injury, the difference was even more significant (P ¼ 0.0005). Motor and sensory scores of the ISNCSCI correlated positively with FA and negatively with ADC values of the centrum semiovale. A moderate association was observed between the macroscopic changes in the spinal cord and the DTI abnormalities in the centrum semiovale. Conclusion: In patients with chronic SCI, DTI changes can be observed in the cerebral white matter. These alterations are associated with the clinical state of the patients.

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Gender differences and age-related white matter changes of the human brain: A diffusion tensor imaging study

Cited by 290 publications

References 41 publications

Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain

Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain

High‐angular resolution diffusion imaging tractography of cerebellar pathways from newborns to young adults

Clinical correlates of cerebral diffusion tensor imaging findings in chronic traumatic spinal cord injury

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