Sex and age effects on caudate nucleus size: implications for neurosurgery and neurodegenerative biomarkers

The caudate nucleus (CN) plays a central role in motor control, cognition, and emotional regulation. Structural alterations of the CN have been associated with various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. While volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the standard for assessing CN morphology, linear morphometry offers a simpler and more accessible alternative that does not require advanced post-processing. Normative data on age- and sex-related variations in CN linear dimensions remain limited.