Article (Scientific journals)
Sex Differences in White Matter Microstructure in the Human Brain Predominantly Reflect Differences in Sex Hormone Exposure.
van Hemmen, J.; Saris, I. M. J.; Cohen-Kettenis, P. T. et al.
2017In Cerebral Cortex
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Keywords :
CAIS; DTI; androgens; sexual differentiation; white matter
Abstract :
[en] Sex differences have been described regarding several aspects of human brain morphology; however, the exact biological mechanisms underlying these differences remain unclear in humans. Women with the complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), who lack androgen action in the presence of a 46,XY karyotype, offer the unique opportunity to study isolated effects of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on human neural sexual differentiation. In the present study, we used diffusion tensor imaging to investigate white matter (WM) microstructure in 46,XY women with CAIS (n = 20), 46,XY comparison men (n = 30), and 46,XX comparison women (n = 30). Widespread sex differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), with higher FA in comparison men than in comparison women, were observed. Women with CAIS showed female-typical FA throughout extended WM regions, predominantly due to female-typical radial diffusivity. These findings indicate a predominant role of sex hormones in the sexual differentiation of WM microstructure, although sex chromosome genes and/or masculinizing androgen effects not mediated by the androgen receptor might also play a role.
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
van Hemmen, J.
Saris, I. M. J.
Cohen-Kettenis, P. T.
Veltman, D. J.
Pouwels, P. J. W.
Bakker, Julie  ;  Université de Liège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Language :
English
Title :
Sex Differences in White Matter Microstructure in the Human Brain Predominantly Reflect Differences in Sex Hormone Exposure.
Publication date :
2017
Journal title :
Cerebral Cortex
ISSN :
1047-3211
eISSN :
1460-2199
Publisher :
Oxford University Press, United Kingdom
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Commentary :
(c) The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Available on ORBi :
since 09 June 2016

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