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Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in language. Most studies do not consider the possible role sex differences may play in language profiles. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate whether parent-reported structural and pragmatic language vary as a function of sex in youth with DS (n = 37), ASD (n = 106), and typical development (TD; n = 61). Findings suggest a female advantage in both structural and pragmatic language in DS; in contrast, no sex differences were found for either ASD or TD. Results suggest that males with DS may require more extensive interventions for language. Future research should investigate how age, IQ, and mode of measurement may impact the nature of these observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex differences in epidemiology, clinical features, and therapeutical responses are emerging in several movement disorders, even though they are still not widely recognized. Parkinson's disease (PD) is not an exception: men and women suffering from PD have different levels of disability. Research has been performed using multiple databases and scientific journals; this review summarizes the available evidence on sex differences in PD regarding epidemiology, risk factors, genetics, clinical phenotype, social impact, and therapeutic management. The role of hormones in determining such differences is also briefly discussed. The results confirm the existence of differences between men and women in PD; women have a higher risk of developing disabling motor complications and non-motor fluctuations compared to men, while men have a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, postural instability, and gait disorders. Improving our knowledge in these differences may result in the implementation of strategies for disease-tailored treatment and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing sex as a biological variable is critical to determining the influence of environmental and lifestyle risks and protective factors mediating behavior and neuroplasticity across the lifespan. We investigated sex differences in affective behavior, memory, and hippocampal neurogenesis following short- or long-term exposure to exercise or chronic mild stress in young and aged mice. Male and female mice were assigned control, running, or chronic stress rearing conditions for 1 month (young) or for 15 months (aged), then underwent a behavioral test battery to assess activity, affective behavior, and memory. Stress exposure into late-adulthood increased hyperactivity in both sexes, and enhanced anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior in aged female, but not male, mice. One month of stress or running had no differential effects on behavior in young males and females. Running increased survival of BrdU-labelled hippocampal cells in both young and aged mice, and enhanced spatial memory in aged mice. These findings highlight the importance of considering sex when determining how aging is differently impacted by modifiable lifestyle factors across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the earliest measure of social communication in rodents, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to maternal separation are critical in preclinical research on neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). While sex differences in both USV production and behavioral outcomes are reported, many studies overlook sex as a biological variable in preclinical NDD models. We aimed to evaluate sex differences in USV call parameters and determine if USVs are differently impacted based on sex in the preclinical maternal immune activation (MIA) model. Results indicate that sex differences in USVs vary with developmental stage and are more pronounced in MIA offspring. Specifically, developmental stage is a moderator of sex differences in USV call duration, with control females emitting longer calls than males in early development (up to postnatal day [PND] 8), but this pattern reverses after PND8. MIA leads to a reduction in call numbers for females compared to same-sex controls in early development, with a reversal post-PND8. MIA decreased call duration and increased total call duration in males, but unlike females, developmental stage did not influence these differences. In males, MIA effects varied by species, with decreased call numbers in rats but increased call numbers in mice. MIA timing (gestational day ≤ 12.5 vs. > 12.5) did not significantly affect results. Our findings highlight the importance of considering sex, developmental timing, and species in USVs research. We discuss how analyzing USV call types and incorporating sex as a biological variable can enhance our understanding of neonatal ultrasonic communication and its translational value in NDD research. Plain English Summary: This study looks at how young rodents in their first couple weeks of life communicate using high-pitched sounds called ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), particularly in the context of when they are separated from their mothers. These vocalizations are often measured in preclinical research aimed at understanding neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism. We evaluated whether there are differences between male and female rodents in how they produce these sounds and how they respond following exposure to an infection while gestating, a model known as maternal immune activation (MIA). Our findings showed that sex differences in vocalizations depend on the age of rodents and are more noticeable in those affected by MIA. In the early days of development, female rodents made longer calls than males, but this pattern reversed as they grew older. For females exposed to MIA, the number of calls decreased, while males showed different patterns depending on whether they were rats or mice. The timing of when the mother experienced immune activation did not significantly change the results. Overall, this research emphasizes the need to consider sex, age, and species when studying these vocalizations. Understanding these factors can help improve preclinical research on early communication in relation to NDDs. Highlights: Sex modulates ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in maternal immune activation (MIA). Developmental stage moderates sex differences in USV call duration. MIA reduces call numbers in females early (< / = PND8), but not later development. MIA effects in males vary by species: call numbers decrease in rats, increase in mice. Including sex as a variable enhances translational value in preclinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are disproportionately affected by chronic pain compared with men. While societal and environmental factors contribute to this disparity, sex-based biological differences in the processing of pain are also believed to play significant roles. The central lateral nucleus of the amygdala (CeLC) is a key region for the emotional-affective dimension of pain, and a prime target for exploring sex differences in pain processing since a recent study demonstrated sex differences in CGRP actions in this region. Inputs to CeLC from the parabrachial nucleus (PB) play a causal role in aversive processing and release both glutamate and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP is thought to play a crucial role in chronic pain by potentiating glutamatergic signaling in CeLC. However, it is not known if this CGRP-mediated synaptic plasticity occurs similarly in males and females. Here, we tested the hypothesis that female CeLC neurons experience greater potentiation of glutamatergic signaling than males following endogenous CGRP exposure. Using trains of optical stimuli to evoke transient CGRP release from PB terminals in CeLC, we find that subsequent glutamatergic responses are preferentially potentiated in CeLC neurons from female mice. This potentiation was CGRP dependent and involved a postsynaptic mechanism. This sex difference in CGRP sensitivity may explain sex differences in affective pain processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The inadequate inclusion of sex and gender in medical research has resulted in biased clinical guidance and disparities in knowledge and patient outcomes. Despite efforts by regulatory and funding agencies, opportunities to generate sex-specific knowledge are frequently overlooked. While certain disciplines in cardiovascular medicine have made notable progress, these advances have yet to permeate the literature on perioperative cardiovascular complications in non-cardiac surgery. Prompted by the recent findings on sex-specific perioperative cardiovascular outcomes, this review aims to scope the literature in this field and categorize methodological approaches used to incorporate sex and gender in studies of this patient population. Methods: Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews will be followed in stages elaborated by Levac (2010). A comprehensive search strategy will be used to identify relevant primary research published since 2010. Screening will be performed by independent reviewers using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data will be extracted from full text and supplementary materials of selected articles. Results will be presented as proportions of studies reporting sex and gender, the assigned purpose of these variables in analysis, and where they are reported in the article. In addition, articles will be mapped to the source, country of origin, and year of publication. Narrative summaries will be provided to outline key findings and assess the depth of the literature within each of the major topics (risk assessment/prediction, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and outcomes). Discussion: Increasing recognition of the profound and complex implications of sex and gender in medicine has fuelled calls for greater attention to participation equity, sex-specific analysis and reporting. Focusing on perioperative cardiovascular complications, this review has the potential to identify knowledge gaps for future research, as well as areas of strength that could support formal knowledge synthesis or secondary analysis of data from past research. Scoping review registration: Submitted on August 15th, 2023 (Web of Science osf.io/u25sf) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many species, olfactory abilities in females are more acute than those in males. Studies in humans show that women have lower olfactory thresholds and are better able to discriminate and identify odors than men. In mice, odorants elicit faster activation from a larger number of olfactory bulb glomeruli in females than in males. Our study explores sex differences in olfaction in Long Evans rats from a behavioral and electrophysiological perspective. Local field potentials (LFPs) in the olfactory bulb (OB) represent the coordinated activity of bulbar neurons. Olfactory gamma (65–120 Hz) and beta (15–30 Hz) oscillations have been functionally linked to odor perception. Spontaneous and odor-evoked OB LFPs were recorded from awake rats at the same time for 12 days. Odors used included urine of both sexes and monomolecular odorants characterized previously for correlation of volatility with behavior and OB oscillations. Sampling duration in a habituation context, baseline gamma and beta power, and odor-elicited beta and gamma power were analyzed. We find that females sample odorants for a shorter duration than males (just over 1-s difference). Although baseline gamma and beta power do not show significant differences between the two sexes, odor-elicited gamma and beta power in females is significantly lower than in males. Neither sampling duration nor beta and gamma power in females varied systematically with day of estrus. We further verify that variance of these behavioral and physiological measures is not different across sexes, adding to growing evidence that researchers need not be concerned about often-claimed additional variance in female subjects. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Olfaction plays a large role in evolutionary processes. However, we know little about sex differences in olfactory bulb neurophysiology, and many scientists believe that females are more variable because of estrus. We show that female rats sniff odors for shorter durations than males and have lower power in neural oscillations related to cognition. Estrus was not related to variance in any measures. Finally, males and females show equal variance on these behavioral and physiological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress are fundamental contributors to the onset of conditions related to childhood obesity, such as cardiovascular (CV) diseases. We aimed to assess CV risk in childhood obesity by examining sex differences in adiposity indices, cardiometabolic profiles, inflammation, and oxidative stress biomarkers. We also aimed to assess the potential of the interferon-inducible T-cell alpha chemoattractant (I-TAC/CXCL11) as a novel biomarker. Methods: Eighty children (36 girls) aged 5–18 years with overweight, obesity, or normal weight were analyzed. Fasting blood samples were obtained to assess C-reactive protein (CRP), leukocytes, myeloperoxidase (MPO), adiponectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, superoxide dismutase-1, I-TAC/CXCL11, and a comprehensive cardiometabolic profile, including glucose, lipid, renal, liver, and thyroid function markers. Adiposity indices were determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric measures, including BMI, waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios, and visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness. Blood pressure (BP) and pulse wave velocity were also evaluated. Results: Girls had less central obesity and fewer CV risk factors than boys, despite having similar total fat mass. Both girls and boys with overweight or obesity showed higher CRP levels. Girls with excess weight had increased leukocyte counts, while boys had elevated MPO levels, which correlated positively with adiposity indices, systolic BP, and homocysteine, and negatively with HDL. I-TAC/CXCL11 levels were similar across groups. Conclusions: Adiposity indices are essential for evaluating CV risk in children and adolescents, with sex differences underscoring the need for tailored approaches. MPO correlated significantly with CV risk markers, supporting its inclusion in routine assessments. I-TAC/CXCL11 warrants further study in childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer sex influences phenotypic differences in digestive functions that may underlie variations in food disintegration. This study used an in vitro digestion model to test the hypothesis that emulsions follow distinct digestive pathways in men and women. Model emulsions were prepared using medium-chain triglycerides stabilized by beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, or lactoferrin, and by three non-protein emulsifiers: Tween 80, lecithin, and sucrose esters. All emulsions were produced by high-pressure homogenization (0.57 MPa, 5 passes) and then subjected to in vitro digestion under simulated conditions of the male or female gastrointestine. Digesta samples were analyzed via confocal microscopy and laser-based particle sizing, revealing that protein-stabilized emulsions were responsive to physiological differences between males and females, whereas emulsions stabilized by non-protein emulsifiers remained mostly unaffected by sex-based differences. Absolute differential analyses of emulsion droplet size-distribution curves showed that changes in breakdown trajectories for emulsions were pronouncedly noticeable in gastric effluents. Further, SDS-PAGE analysis of digesta showed that breakdown patterns of protein-stabilized emulsions are consistent with prior evidence found for healthy adults; however, results under female gut conditions indicated variations in protein clotting that may alter bioaccessible levels of bioactive peptides. Thus, this study underscores the importance of considering consumer biological sex in food design, especially regarding emulsion-based products for targeted digestive responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied alterations in partial pressure of end‐tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2${{P}_{{\mathrm{ETC}}{{{\mathrm{O}}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$) to challenge dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) responses across the cardiac cycle in both biological sexes. A total of 20 participants (10 females and 10 males; aged 19–34 years) performed 4‐min bouts of repeated squat–stand manoeuvres (SSMs) at 0.05 and 0.10 Hz (randomized orders) with PETCO2${{P}_{{\mathrm{ETC}}{{{\mathrm{O}}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$ clamped at ∼40 mmHg. The protocol was repeated for hypercapnic (∼55 mmHg) and hypocapnic (∼20 mmHg) conditions. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) were insonated via transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Dynamic end‐tidal forcing clamped PETCO2${{P}_{{\mathrm{ETC}}{{{\mathrm{O}}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$, and finger photoplethysmography quantified beat‐to‐beat changes in blood pressure. Linear regressions were performed for transfer function analysis metrics including power spectrum densities, coherence, phase, gain and normalized gain (nGain) with adjustment for sex. During hypercapnic conditions, phase metrics were reduced from eucapnic levels (all P < 0.009), while phase increased during the hypocapnic stage during both 0.05 and 0.10 Hz SSMs (all P < 0.037). Sex differences were present with females displaying greater gain and nGain systole metrics during 0.10 Hz SSMs (all P < 0.041). Across PETCO2${{P}_{{\mathrm{ETC}}{{{\mathrm{O}}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$ stages, females displayed reduced buffering against systolic aspects of the cardiac cycle and augmented gain. Sex‐related variances in dCA could explain sex differences in the occurrence of clinical conditions such as orthostatic intolerance and stroke, though the effect of fluctuating sex hormones and contraceptive use on dCA metrics is not yet understood. What is the central question of this study?What is the influence partial pressure of end tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2${{P}_{{\mathrm{ETC}}{{{\mathrm{O}}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$) on dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) across all aspects of the cardiac cycle during hypocapnia, eucapnia and hypercapnia, and are biological sex differences observed in the responses?What is the main finding and its importance?There was delayed dCA response in hypercapnia and enhanced dCA during hypocapnia. Biological sex differences were most evident during 0.10 Hz squat–stand manoeuvres. Middle cerebral artery systolic gain and nGain were lower in males compared to females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Relationship dynamics could be shaped by schemas, and relationship satisfaction could be depend on how couples perceive each other through these schemas. The main aim of this study was to assess how early maladaptive schemas are related to relationship satisfaction for both males and females in a relationship, by highlighting factors that contribute to relationship satisfaction, with a particular focus on the interaction of schemas between males and females. Methods: The study involved a total of healthy 47 different-gender couples. Participants completed the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationship (PAIR) and Young's Schema questionnaires. Actor-partner interdependence models (APIM) were created to assess which factors contributed to satisfaction. Results: Our study identifies sex differences in early maladaptive schemas, revealing complex interactions within romantic relationships. Strong associations were observed between both sexes' maladaptive schemas, suggesting mutual influence. The emotional deprivation schema is associated with reduced satisfaction for both partners. For females, the abandonment schema is linked to decreased both their own and their partner's satisfaction, while the mistrust/abuse schema is related to lower satisfaction in the male partner. Social isolation and defectiveness/shame schemas are associated with lower female satisfaction but do not appear to affect their partners, whereas male satisfaction is reduced by vulnerability to harm. Schemas such as failure to achieve, dependence/incompetence and enmeshment show little association with relationship satisfaction. Approval-seeking schema is linked to reduced female satisfaction, and negativity/pessimism is associated with reduced male satisfaction. Discussion: Our research provides a nuanced insight into the interactions between partners' schemas, thus improving the understanding of how maladaptive schemas may contribute to relationship outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Using Interpolated Markov Chain software, we compare the length of life with and without depression among married individuals and widowers, and the related sex differences. Methods: We applied a multi-state life table approach to estimate depression-free life expectancy among recent cohorts of older married and widowed women and men in the United States, using data from the Health and Retirement Study over a 7-year period (2012–2018). Results: The study revealed that the difference in life expectancy between sexes widens in the context of widowhood. At age 50, the sex gap in depression-free life expectancy is 0.8 years among married people, whereas the gap almost doubles to 1.7 years among widowed people. Discussion: By quantifying disparities in the duration of life affected by depression between married and widowed women and men, policymakers could properly allocate resources specifically to address the mental health needs of these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]