Abstract
Background: There are significant age and sex effects in cognitive ability and brain disease. However, sex differences in aging of human brain areas associated with nonreproductive behavior have not been extensively studied. We hypothesized that there would be significant sex differences in aging of brain areas that subserve speech, visuospatial, and memory function. Methods: We investigated sex differences in the effect of aging on human brain morphometry by means of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and on regional cerebral metabolism for glucose by positron emission tomography. In the magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined 69 healthy right-handed subjects (34 women and 35 men), divided into young (age range, 20 to 35 years) and old (60 to 85 years) groups. In the positron emission tomography study, we investigated 120 healthy right-handed subjects (65 women and 55 men) aged 21 to 91 years. Results: In the magnetic resonance imaging study, age-related volume loss was significantly greater in men than women in whole brain and frontal and temporal lobes, whereas it was greater in women than men in hippocampus and parietal lobes. In the positron emission tomography study, significant sex differences existed in the effect of age on regional brain metabolism, and asymmetry of metabolism, in the temporal and parietal lobes, Broca's area, thalamus, and hippocampus. Conclusions: We found significant sex differences in aging of brain areas that are essential to higher cognitive functioning. Thus, our findings may explain some of the age- sex differences in human cognition and response to brain injury and disease.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 585-594 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Archives of General Psychiatry |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| State | Published - 1996 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Sex differences in human brain morphometry and metabolism : An in vivo quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography study on the effect of aging. / Murphy, Declan G M; DeCarli, Charles; McIntosh, Andrew R.; Daly, Eilen; Mentis, Marc J.; Pietrini, Pietro; Szczepanik, Joanna; Schapiro, Mark B.; Grady, Cheryl L.; Horwitz, Barry; Rapoport, Stanley I.
In: Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 53, No. 7, 1996, p. 585-594.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex differences in human brain morphometry and metabolism
T2 - An in vivo quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography study on the effect of aging
AU - Murphy, Declan G M
AU - DeCarli, Charles
AU - McIntosh, Andrew R.
AU - Daly, Eilen
AU - Mentis, Marc J.
AU - Pietrini, Pietro
AU - Szczepanik, Joanna
AU - Schapiro, Mark B.
AU - Grady, Cheryl L.
AU - Horwitz, Barry
AU - Rapoport, Stanley I.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - Background: There are significant age and sex effects in cognitive ability and brain disease. However, sex differences in aging of human brain areas associated with nonreproductive behavior have not been extensively studied. We hypothesized that there would be significant sex differences in aging of brain areas that subserve speech, visuospatial, and memory function. Methods: We investigated sex differences in the effect of aging on human brain morphometry by means of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and on regional cerebral metabolism for glucose by positron emission tomography. In the magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined 69 healthy right-handed subjects (34 women and 35 men), divided into young (age range, 20 to 35 years) and old (60 to 85 years) groups. In the positron emission tomography study, we investigated 120 healthy right-handed subjects (65 women and 55 men) aged 21 to 91 years. Results: In the magnetic resonance imaging study, age-related volume loss was significantly greater in men than women in whole brain and frontal and temporal lobes, whereas it was greater in women than men in hippocampus and parietal lobes. In the positron emission tomography study, significant sex differences existed in the effect of age on regional brain metabolism, and asymmetry of metabolism, in the temporal and parietal lobes, Broca's area, thalamus, and hippocampus. Conclusions: We found significant sex differences in aging of brain areas that are essential to higher cognitive functioning. Thus, our findings may explain some of the age- sex differences in human cognition and response to brain injury and disease.
AB - Background: There are significant age and sex effects in cognitive ability and brain disease. However, sex differences in aging of human brain areas associated with nonreproductive behavior have not been extensively studied. We hypothesized that there would be significant sex differences in aging of brain areas that subserve speech, visuospatial, and memory function. Methods: We investigated sex differences in the effect of aging on human brain morphometry by means of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and on regional cerebral metabolism for glucose by positron emission tomography. In the magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined 69 healthy right-handed subjects (34 women and 35 men), divided into young (age range, 20 to 35 years) and old (60 to 85 years) groups. In the positron emission tomography study, we investigated 120 healthy right-handed subjects (65 women and 55 men) aged 21 to 91 years. Results: In the magnetic resonance imaging study, age-related volume loss was significantly greater in men than women in whole brain and frontal and temporal lobes, whereas it was greater in women than men in hippocampus and parietal lobes. In the positron emission tomography study, significant sex differences existed in the effect of age on regional brain metabolism, and asymmetry of metabolism, in the temporal and parietal lobes, Broca's area, thalamus, and hippocampus. Conclusions: We found significant sex differences in aging of brain areas that are essential to higher cognitive functioning. Thus, our findings may explain some of the age- sex differences in human cognition and response to brain injury and disease.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=8944220721&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8660125
AN - SCOPUS:8944220721
VL - 53
SP - 585
EP - 594
JO - JAMA Psychiatry
JF - JAMA Psychiatry
SN - 2168-622X
IS - 7
ER -