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Sex Differences in Cortical Hemodynamic Responses During Interactive and Passive Tasks: An fNIRS Study Using the
Karolina Jezierska1, Agnieszka Turoń-Skrzypińska2, Iwona Rotter2
1Department of Medical Physics, Pomeranian Medical University, ul. Ku Słońcu 13, 71-073 Szczecin, Poland.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 27, 2025
Summary
Men exhibit distinct cerebral cortex activation patterns compared to women during motor tasks. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to reveal sex-based differences in hemodynamic responses, particularly in the parietal cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Understanding sex-based differences in brain function is crucial for personalized medicine and neuroscience research.
- Previous studies suggest potential variations in cognitive processing between sexes, but direct hemodynamic evidence is limited.
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a non-invasive method to measure cortical activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in the hemodynamic response of the cerebral cortex during interactive and passive motor tasks.
- To compare activation patterns, specifically oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔHbO) levels and reaction time (tmax), between men and women.
- To explore how task type (interactive vs. passive) influences sex-based differences in cortical activation.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 97 healthy adults (63 women, 34 men).
- Utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure hemodynamic responses (ΔHbO).
- Assessed cortical activation across five regions during an interactive motor game and a passive hand movement task.
Main Results:
- Significant sex differences in ΔHbO amplitude were found, with men showing higher activation in the parietal, prefrontal, left hemisphere, and visual cortices.
- These differences were more pronounced during the passive task, suggesting distinct processing strategies.
- No significant group differences in tmax were observed, though men tended to have longer tmax in the visual cortex. A positive correlation between ΔHbO and tmax was noted in men.
Conclusions:
- Biological sex is an important factor influencing cortical hemodynamic responses during motor tasks.
- Observed differences suggest distinct neural processing strategies between men and women, particularly in passive tasks.
- Findings underscore the need to consider sex as a variable in neuroimaging research and inform future analytical directions.
