Sex Differences in Cognitive Flexibility and Resting Brain Networks in Middle-Aged Marmosets
M LaClair1,2, M Febo3, B Nephew4,5
1Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 mlaclair@fairfield.edu alacreuse@psych.umass.edu.
Eneuro
|July 3, 2019
Summary
Female marmosets show enhanced habit formation and stress reactivity compared to males. These cognitive sex differences are linked to distinct brain network patterns, particularly in regions like the prefrontal cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Primate Research
Background:
- Sex differences in human cognition are known, but their neural basis is unclear.
- Nonhuman primates offer a model to study cognitive sex differences with minimized sociocultural influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate sex differences in executive functions (reversal learning, ID/ED set shifting) in marmosets.
- Explore the neural correlates of these cognitive sex differences using resting-state fMRI.
- Assess sex differences in stress reactivity and motor function.
Main Methods:
- Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) underwent behavioral tasks assessing reversal learning and ID/ED set shifting.
- Urinary cortisol levels and locomotion were measured during a social separation stressor.
- Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) was analyzed using fMRI to examine brain network differences.
Main Results:
- Females required more trials than males for reversal learning, suggesting enhanced habit formation.
- No sex differences were found in extradimensional set shifting or motivation.
- Females exhibited earlier and greater cortisol increases and agitated locomotion under stress.
- Sex differences were observed in resting-state functional connectivity within cognitive networks, including the prefrontal cortex, caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens.
Conclusions:
- Marmosets display sex differences in reversal learning and stress reactivity, aligning with some human findings.
- These cognitive and stress-related sex differences are associated with distinct patterns of brain network connectivity.
- The marmoset is a valuable model for elucidating the biological underpinnings of cognitive sex differences.
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