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Aging amplifies sex differences in low alpha and low beta EEG oscillations
Chuanliang Han1, Vincent C K Cheung2, Rosa H M Chan3
1School of Biomedical Sciences and The Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Brain activity differs by sex and age, with older adults showing distinct patterns in alpha and beta oscillations. These sex differences emerge with aging and are linked to lifestyle factors, impacting electroencephalographic (EEG) research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Brain Oscillations
- Sex Differences in Brain Function
Background:
- Biological sex significantly influences brain function, but its impact on neural oscillations remains poorly understood.
- Previous electroencephalographic (EEG) studies show inconsistent sex-based variations, hindering the understanding of brain function variability.
- Aging may interact with biological sex to modulate neural dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-dependent sex differences in neural oscillations using electroencephalographic (EEG) and intracranial EEG (iEEG) data.
- To explore the relationship between sex-specific oscillatory patterns, aging, and lifestyle factors.
- To bridge scalp-level and cortical-level observations of sex-related neural dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of five publicly available resting-state EEG (n=445) and iEEG (n=103) datasets.
- Categorization of participants into three age groups: young adults (YA, 18-30), middle-aged adults (MA, 30-55), and older adults (OA, 55-80).
- Examination of sex-specific differences in low alpha (8-9 Hz) and low beta (16-20 Hz) oscillations across age groups.
Main Results:
- Older adults (OA) exhibited significant sex differences: males had higher low alpha in temporal regions and lower low beta in parietal-occipital areas than females.
- These age-dependent sex differences were absent in young adults (YA), with middle-aged adults (MA) showing intermediate patterns.
- Increased low beta activity in older females correlated with hip size and BMI; sex-related activity in the precentral gyrus was consistent between scalp EEG and iEEG.
Conclusions:
- Neural oscillations show distinct age-dependent sex differences, particularly in older adults.
- The interplay between sex, aging, and lifestyle factors significantly shapes brain dynamics and neural oscillations.
- Future EEG research must consider demographic factors like sex and age for accurate neurophysiological diversity assessment.
