Adult sex differences on a decision-making task previously shown to depend on the orbital prefrontal cortex

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Endocrinology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Sex differences in cognitive tasks involving the orbital prefrontal cortex are observed in monkeys and children.
• Understanding the lifespan trajectory of these sex differences in adults is crucial for cognitive neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in decision-making performance across the lifespan.
• To examine the relationship between sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) and performance on an orbital prefrontal cortex-dependent task.

Main Methods:

• Adult participants (N=6 groups: young/old men, young/older women with varying hormone levels) completed the Iowa Card Task (decision-making) and California Weather Task (control).
• Hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) were assayed in all participants.
• Performance on both tasks was analyzed in relation to sex and hormone levels.

Main Results:

• Men exhibited superior performance on the Iowa Card Task compared to all women's groups.
• A negative correlation was found between testosterone levels and Iowa Card Task performance in college-age men.
• No significant sex differences or hormone correlations were observed on the control California Weather Task.

Conclusions:

• Adult men outperform women on an orbital prefrontal cortex-dependent decision-making task.
• Testosterone may play a role in modulating decision-making performance in men.
• Hormonal influences on sex differences in cognition may vary across the lifespan and by task type.