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Sex Differences in the Brain's White Matter Microstructure during Development assessed using Advanced Diffusion MRI
Summary
Sex differences in brain white matter (WM) microstructure are evident during typical development. Advanced imaging models, particularly the tensor distribution function (TDF), are most sensitive for detecting these developmental variations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Sex differences in brain white matter (WM) microstructure during development are not fully understood.
- Investigating these differences is crucial for understanding typical neurodevelopment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate sex differences in WM microstructure during typical brain development.
- To compare the sensitivity of different diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) models in detecting these differences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) on 239 neurotypical individuals aged 5-22 years.
- Applied conventional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and advanced models: tensor distribution function (TDF) and neurite orientation dispersion density imaging (NODDI).
Main Results:
- Significant and regionally consistent sex differences in WM microstructure were observed across the brain during development.
- The TDF model demonstrated the highest sensitivity in identifying these sex-based differences.
Conclusions:
- WM microstructure shows notable sex differences throughout typical brain development.
- The advanced TDF model offers enhanced sensitivity for detecting these neurodevelopmental variations, highlighting the importance of considering sex in research.
