Sex, gender and the brain: fascinating discoveries in neuroscience

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Advances in neuroscience continue to shed light on the mysteries of our brain. A recent study was published on July 12 in the journal Science Advances. The result of collaboration between American and Singaporean scientists, has highlighted remarkable disparities in the & #8217;neural interconnection, modulated by sex and gender. These revelations could prove decisive in understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders in a new light.

Differences in brain connectivity according to sex

This study, led by Elvisha Dhamala of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York, looked at the brain activity of 4,757 children, aged 9 to 10, using fMRI scans (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging).

The sample consisted of 2,442 subjects assigned male at birth (AMAB) and 2,315 assigned female at birth (AFAB). Closer examination of the data revealed notable discrepancies in brain connectivity by sex, particularly in networks involved in motor skills, visual perception, and emotional processes.

Using machine learning algorithms, researchers have managed to predict with remarkable acuity whether a brain belongs to an AMAB or AFAB child. These disparities are rooted in anatomical, physiological, genetic and hormonal variations present from birth.

The influence of gender on the brain

The investigation also looked at fluctuations in brain connectivity according to gender, characterized by the attitudes, feelings and behaviors specific to each individual.

Gender-related indicators, although less reliable and less circumscribed than those based on sex, reveal singular and more diffuse correlationswithin the brain. Dhamala points out that ” Sex and gender have traditionally been lumped together in research, when they should have been studied separately .”

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This dichotomy between sex and gender makes sense when we consider the influence of social interactions and environmental factors on brain evolution. The remarkable plasticity of our brains implies that personal and social experiences can shape the neural expression of gender.

Implication for medical research

These discoveries open new perspectives for understanding and diagnosing neurological and psychiatric disorders. Thus, certain conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or Parkinson's disease are more frequently identified in AMAB individuals, while anxiety and Alzheimer's disease predominate in AFAB individuals.

These disparities could be modulated by factors related to gender, in addition to those inherent to biological sex.

Researchers highlight a worrying reality: ” Women, AFAB individuals and sex/gender minorities have long been excluded from biomedical research. As a result, these groups are at greater risk of underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis for common brain disorders ».

This historical sidelining highlights the need to jointly integrate sex and gender into scientific studies, in order to achieve a holistic understanding of brain pathologies.

Although this study focuses on a cohort of prepubescent children, a pivotal period for the emergence of gender identity, it would be interesting to broaden the scope of investigation to more mature and heterogeneous populations. Dhamala elucidates: “This research illuminates the complex and nuanced ways in which biological and environmental factors influence brain organization.” These observations therefore remain to be validated on larger samples.to ensure that the results are generalizable and robust.

• Study finds disparities in neural connectivity between AMAB and AFAB children.
• Gender-related variations in brain connectivity show distinct correlations.
• These findings improve the understanding of neurological disorders by integrating sex and gender into the factors to be considered.

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