Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium

doi:10.1002/hbm.25204

Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	470-499
Number of pages	30
Journal	Human Brain Mapping
Volume	43
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25204
State	Published - Jan 2022
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Nutricia Australi
Fresenius Medical Care North America
NWO‐ NIH
H. Lundbeck A/S
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health
Netherlands Brain Foundation
Shire
Biogen
National Institute for Health Research
Eli Lilly and Company
National Institutes of Health
KA Wallenberg Foundation
Seventh Framework Programme	798181, 602805, 667302, 230374, 278948, 1734853, 847776
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Advisory Board
H2020 European Research Council
EU H2020
Sackler Foundation
European Research Council
King's College London
Biogen, Inc.
European Community's Horizon 2020 Programme
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	802998, 602450, 643051, 603016
Not added	51.02.062, 51.02.061, NWO- NIH, 016.130.669, 51.02.061 to H.H., NWO 51.02.062 to D.B.
National Institute of Mental Health	R00MH101367, R01MH062873, R01MH120482, R01MH116147, R01MH120080, K24MH094614, R01MH119219, R01MH084803, R01MH117014, P50MH071616, U01MH097435, RC1MH089257, K08MH068540, R01MH113619, R01MH096957, R01MH101486, R01MH119243, R01MH083246, K01MH099232, R01MH056584, R01MH117601, R56 AG058, R01MH085604, K23MH085096, R01MH118695, R01MH104284, K23MH115206, T32MH073526, R01MH129742, R01MH059259, R01MH106324, R01MH101111, R01MH101495
Norges Forskningsråd	223273, 230345, 288083
National Center for Research Resources	P41RR014075, M01RR001066, U24RR021992, UL1RR025761
South London and Maudsley Trust	064846
National Institute on Aging	RF1AG057892, P30AG010133, R03AG064001, R01AG058854, U01AG068057, P30AG072976, T32AG058507, R01AG019771, R01AG059874
Wellcome Trust	104036, 216767
National Science Foundation	1734853
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	SFB‐TRR 58/B01, TRR 58/A1, SFB-TRR 58/B06, KFO 125, TRR 58/A5, 636
Medical Research Council	14/23/17, 433‐09‐ 229, 91619115, NF‐SI‐0616‐10040, G03001896
National Institute of General Medical Sciences	P20GM130447, P20GM103472
UK Research and Innovation	MC_PC_17209
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences	UL1TR001863
Helse Sør-Øst RHF	2019069, 2017112
National Cancer Institute	R01CA129769
Fundació la Marató de TV3	091710
Generalitat de Catalunya	WA 1539/4‐1, 2017SGR01343, SCHN 1205/3‐1
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering	R01EB020062, R01EB020407, R01EB005846, R01EB000840, U54EB020403, R01EB006841
European Commission	263234
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke	U01NS105509
National Health and Medical Research Council	568969, 1093083, 1045325, 1141738, 401162
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen	CPII16/0020, PAH/6635
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development	R01HD050735

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10.1002/hbm.25204

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@article{b61bd5e88c384d69b687e7f5a4f3bc9b,

title = "Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan",

abstract = "For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.",

author = "{Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium} and Wierenga, {Lara M.} and Doucet, {Gaelle E.} and Danai Dima and Ingrid Agartz and Moji Aghajani and Akudjedu, {Theophilus N.} and Anton Albajes-Eizagirre and Dag Aln{\ae}s and Alpert, {Kathryn I.} and Andreassen, {Ole A.} and Alan Anticevic and Philip Asherson and Tobias Banaschewski and Nuria Bargallo and Sarah Baumeister and Ramona Baur-Streubel and Alessandro Bertolino and Aurora Bonvino and Boomsma, {Dorret I.} and Stefan Borgwardt and Josiane Bourque and {den Braber}, Anouk and Daniel Brandeis and Alan Breier and Henry Brodaty and Brouwer, {Rachel M.} and Buitelaar, {Jan K.} and Busatto, {Geraldo F.} and Calhoun, {Vince D.} and Canales-Rodr{\'i}guez, {Erick J.} and Cannon, {Dara M.} and Xavier Caseras and Castellanos, {Francisco X.} and Chaim-Avancini, {Tiffany M.} and Ching, {Christopher R.K.} and Clark, {Vincent P.} and Conrod, {Patricia J.} and Annette Conzelmann and Fabrice Crivello and Davey, {Christopher G.} and Dickie, {Erin W.} and Stefan Ehrlich and {van't Ent}, Dennis and Fisher, {Simon E.} and Fouche, {Jean Paul} and Barbara Franke and Paola Fuentes-Claramonte and {de Geus}, {Eco J.C.} and {Di Giorgio}, Annabella and Stein, {Dan J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.",

year = "2022",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1002/hbm.25204",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "43",

pages = "470--499",

journal = "Human Brain Mapping",

issn = "1065-9471",

publisher = "Wiley-Liss Inc.",

number = "1",

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T1 - Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

AU - Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium

AU - Wierenga, Lara M.

AU - Doucet, Gaelle E.

AU - Dima, Danai

AU - Agartz, Ingrid

AU - Aghajani, Moji

AU - Akudjedu, Theophilus N.

AU - Albajes-Eizagirre, Anton

AU - Alnæs, Dag

AU - Alpert, Kathryn I.

AU - Andreassen, Ole A.

AU - Anticevic, Alan

AU - Asherson, Philip

AU - Banaschewski, Tobias

AU - Bargallo, Nuria

AU - Baumeister, Sarah

AU - Baur-Streubel, Ramona

AU - Bertolino, Alessandro

AU - Bonvino, Aurora

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I.

AU - Borgwardt, Stefan

AU - Bourque, Josiane

AU - den Braber, Anouk

AU - Brandeis, Daniel

AU - Breier, Alan

AU - Brodaty, Henry

AU - Brouwer, Rachel M.

AU - Buitelaar, Jan K.

AU - Busatto, Geraldo F.

AU - Calhoun, Vince D.

AU - Canales-Rodríguez, Erick J.

AU - Cannon, Dara M.

AU - Caseras, Xavier

AU - Castellanos, Francisco X.

AU - Chaim-Avancini, Tiffany M.

AU - Ching, Christopher R.K.

AU - Clark, Vincent P.

AU - Conrod, Patricia J.

AU - Conzelmann, Annette

AU - Crivello, Fabrice

AU - Davey, Christopher G.

AU - Dickie, Erin W.

AU - Ehrlich, Stefan

AU - van't Ent, Dennis

AU - Fisher, Simon E.

AU - Fouche, Jean Paul

AU - Franke, Barbara

AU - Fuentes-Claramonte, Paola

AU - de Geus, Eco J.C.

AU - Di Giorgio, Annabella

AU - Stein, Dan J.

PY - 2022/1

Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

AB - For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

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Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

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