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Brain size, sex, and the aging brain
Lutz Jäncke1, Susan Mérillat, Franziskus Liem
1Division Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Imaging Center (INAPIC), University of Zurich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program (URPP) "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Brain size significantly impacts brain compartment volumes in both young and old individuals. When accounting for brain size, previously observed sex differences in brain volumes largely disappear, highlighting brain size over sex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Human Anatomy
- Statistical Modeling
Background:
- Sex differences in brain structure are frequently reported.
- Age is known to influence brain morphology.
- Understanding factors affecting brain volume is crucial for neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the statistical influence of brain size on various brain compartments.
- To examine the interaction between brain size, sex, and age.
- To determine the relative importance of brain size versus sex in explaining volume differences.
Main Methods:
- Automated segmentation of brain structures (cortical, subcortical, cerebellar).
- Statistical analysis of compartmental volumes in 856 healthy subjects (533 young, 323 old).
- Analysis of raw volumes and volumes controlled for brain size.
Main Results:
- Brain size and age significantly influence most brain compartmental volumes.
- Sex differences in raw compartmental volumes were observed, with males showing larger volumes.
- Controlling for brain size diminished sex differences and sex × age interactions.
Conclusions:
- Brain size is a more significant factor than sex in explaining interindividual differences in brain compartmental volumes.
- Allometric scaling likely underlies the influence of brain size on brain structure.
- These findings refine our understanding of brain morphology variations.
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