Cortical thickness reveals sex differences in verbal and visuospatial memory

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Aging Research

Background:

• Previous research indicates sex differences in behavior, cognition, and brain structure.
• The relationship between memory abilities, neural underpinnings, and sex differences during aging is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in the association between cortical thickness and memory abilities (verbal and visuospatial) in an aging cohort.
• To identify specific brain regions and neural networks underlying these sex-differentiated memory functions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a machine learning model to analyze the association between cortical thickness and memory performance.
• Examined data from a community-elderly cohort (n=1153, ages 50.42-86.67 years).
• Correlated brain regions with specific neural networks (limbic, attention, default-mode, frontoparietal, visual).

Main Results:

• Confirmed females outperform males in verbal memory, while males outperform females in visuospatial memory.
• Identified key regions for verbal memory in females (medial temporal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, insula) linked to limbic and attention networks.
• Identified key regions for visuospatial memory in males (lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, occipital regions) linked to attention and visual networks.

Conclusions:

• Sex-specific advantages in memory performance may stem from differing neural processing tendencies and associated brain networks.
• Cortical thickness variations in distinct brain regions and networks underlie sex differences in aging memory functions.
• Findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological basis of cognitive aging and sex differences.