Sex differences in the neural underpinnings of unimanual and bimanual control in adults

Rogojin, Alica; Gorbet, Diana J.; Sergio, Lauren E.

doi:10.1007/s00221-023-06561-5

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 107 publications

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“…Despite increasing recognition in the field of neurosciences and health related research that sex should be considered in neuroscience study design and analysis 83 , 84 , most studies fail to do so 85 , 86 . Our behavioral and imaging results are in line with the demand of all funding agencies to include sex as a biological factor 86 – 88 and provide further support for the importance of including sex-based analyses, as females and males may exhibit differences in neural mechanisms 45 , 89 , 90 . Our data suggest that future work should consider how differences in biological sex affect patterns of both structural and functional change associated with motor learning.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

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

Kirby,

Andrushko,

Rinat

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has increasingly been used to characterize structure–function relationships during white matter neuroplasticity. Biological sex differences may be an important factor that affects patterns of neuroplasticity, and therefore impacts learning and rehabilitation. The current study examined a participant cohort before and after visuo-motor training to characterize sex differences in microstructural measures. The participants (N = 27) completed a 10-session (4 week) complex visuo-motor training task with their non-dominant hand. All participants significantly improved movement speed and their movement speed variability over the training period. White matter neuroplasticity in females and males was examined using fractional anisotropy (FA) and myelin water fraction (MWF) along the cortico-spinal tract (CST) and the corpus callosum (CC). FA values showed significant differences in the middle portion of the CST tract (nodes 38–51) across the training period. MWF showed a similar cluster in the inferior portion of the tract (nodes 18–29) but did not reach significance. Additionally, at baseline, males showed significantly higher levels of MWF measures in the middle body of the CC. Combining data from females and males would have resulted in reduced sensitivity, making it harder to detect differences in neuroplasticity. These findings offer initial insights into possible female versus male differences in white matter neuroplasticity during motor learning. This warrants investigations into specific patterns of white matter neuroplasticity for females versus males across the lifespan. Understanding biological sex-specific differences in white matter neuroplasticity may have significant implications for the interpretation of change associated with learning or rehabilitation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

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

Kirby,

Andrushko,

Rinat

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Goal conceptualization has distinct effects on spatial and temporal bimanual coordination after left- and right- hemisphere stroke

Yamada,

Jacob,

Hesling

et al. 2024

Human Movement Science

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

Andrushko,

Rinat,

Kirby

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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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.

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Sex differences in the neural underpinnings of unimanual and bimanual control in adults

Cited by 5 publications

References 107 publications

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

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

Goal conceptualization has distinct effects on spatial and temporal bimanual coordination after left- and right- hemisphere stroke

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

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