Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium

doi:10.1002/hbm.25204

Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium

Leiden University
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Boys Town National Research Hospital
City University London
King's College London
University of Oslo
Diakonhjemmet Hospital
Stockholm County Council
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
University of Galway
Bournemouth University
FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM)
Institut d'Investigacions Biomédiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)
Oslo University Hospital
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine
University of Heidelberg
Hospital Clínic
University of Wuerzburg
University of Bari Aldo Moro
University of Basel
Universitaet Luebeck
University of Pennsylvania
CHU Sainte Justine University Hospital Research Center
Location VUMC
University of Zurich
University of Zurich
University and ETH Zurich
Indiana University School of Medicine
University of New South Wales Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry
University Medical Centre Utrecht
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center
Radboud University
University of São Paulo
Georgia Institute of Technology
MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics
New York University
Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
Keck School of Medicine of USC
University of New Mexico
Mind Research Network and LBERI
Université de Montréal
University of Tübingen
PFH – Private University of Applied Sciences
Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle
Centre for Youth Mental Health
National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
University of Toronto
Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
University of Cape Town
Neurogenetics Unit
Boston Children's Hospital
Hartford Hospital
Stanford University
University Medicine Greifswald
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg
Research Institute
Amsterdam UMC
University of Melbourne
University Medical Center Groningen
Sydney University Biological Informatics and Technology Centre (SUBIT)
Department of Neurosciences
Yale University
Massachusetts General Hospital
De Bascule
Amsterdam UMC Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Warneford Hospital
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital HT
University of the Sunshine Coast
University of Barcelona
Mental Health Research Center
Harvard Medical School
SA MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders
Academic Medical Center
Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL
University Bordeaux-Segalen
Bordeaux University Hospital
University of Edinburgh
Queensland University of Technology
Maastricht University Medical Center
Umeå University
Academic Medical Center
Johns Hopkins University
Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau
University Hospital Frankfurt
Prince of Wales Hospital
Institute of Mental Health
National University of Singapore
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
University of Queensland
James J. Peters VA Medical Center
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Amsterdam Neuroscience
Partner site Berlin
partner site Greifswald
Medical College of Wisconsin
University Hospital Bonn
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Hospital Sírio-Libanês
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
University of British Columbia

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer) › Article › peer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	470-499
Number of pages	30
Journal	Human Brain Mapping
Volume	43
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25204
Publication status	Published - Jan 2022

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10.1002/hbm.25204

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@article{020a98efdcec40039049fa220102896f,

title = "Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan",

abstract = "For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47\% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60\% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50\% of the subcortical structures, 70\% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.",

author = "\{Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium\} and Wierenga, \{Lara M.\} and Doucet, \{Gaelle E.\} and Danai Dima and Ingrid Agartz and Moji Aghajani and Akudjedu, \{Theophilus N.\} and Anton Albajes-Eizagirre and Dag Aln{\ae}s and Alpert, \{Kathryn I.\} and Andreassen, \{Ole A.\} and Alan Anticevic and Philip Asherson and Tobias Banaschewski and Nuria Bargallo and Sarah Baumeister and Ramona Baur-Streubel and Alessandro Bertolino and Aurora Bonvino and Boomsma, \{Dorret I.\} and Stefan Borgwardt and Josiane Bourque and \{den Braber\}, Anouk and Daniel Brandeis and Alan Breier and Henry Brodaty and Brouwer, \{Rachel M.\} and Buitelaar, \{Jan K.\} and Busatto, \{Geraldo F.\} and Calhoun, \{Vince D.\} and Canales-Rodr{\'i}guez, \{Erick J.\} and Cannon, \{Dara M.\} and Xavier Caseras and Castellanos, \{Francisco X.\} and Chaim-Avancini, \{Tiffany M.\} and Ching, \{Christopher R.K.\} and Clark, \{Vincent P.\} and Conrod, \{Patricia J.\} and Annette Conzelmann and Fabrice Crivello and Davey, \{Christopher G.\} and Dickie, \{Erin W.\} and Stefan Ehrlich and \{van't Ent\}, Dennis and Fisher, \{Simon E.\} and Fouche, \{Jean Paul\} and Barbara Franke and Paola Fuentes-Claramonte and \{de Geus\}, \{Eco J.C.\} and \{Di Giorgio\}, Annabella and Glahn, \{David C.\} and Gotlib, \{Ian H.\} and Grabe, \{Hans J.\} and Oliver Gruber and Patricia Gruner and Gur, \{Raquel E.\} and Gur, \{Ruben C.\} and Gurholt, \{Tiril P.\} and \{de Haan\}, Lieuwe and Beathe Haatveit and Harrison, \{Ben J.\} and Hartman, \{Catharina A.\} and Hatton, \{Sean N.\} and Heslenfeld, \{Dirk J.\} and \{van den Heuvel\}, \{Odile A.\} and Hickie, \{Ian B.\} and Hoekstra, \{Pieter J.\} and Sarah Hohmann and Holmes, \{Avram J.\} and Martine Hoogman and Norbert Hosten and Howells, \{Fleur M.\} and \{Hulshoff Pol\}, \{Hilleke E.\} and Chaim Huyser and Neda Jahanshad and James, \{Anthony C.\} and Jiyang Jiang and J{\"o}nsson, \{Erik G.\} and Joska, \{John A.\} and Kalnin, \{Andrew J.\} and Marieke Klein and Laura Koenders and Kolsk{\aa}r, \{Knut K.\} and Bernd Kr{\"a}mer and Jonna Kuntsi and Jim Lagopoulos and Luisa Lazaro and Lebedeva, \{Irina S.\} and Lee, \{Phil H.\} and Christine Lochner and Machielsen, \{Marise W.J.\} and Sophie Maingault and Martin, \{Nicholas G.\} and Ignacio Mart{\'i}nez-Zalaca{\'i}n and David Mataix-Cols and Bernard Mazoyer and McDonald, \{Brenna C.\} and Colm McDonald and McIntosh, \{Andrew M.\} and McMahon, \{Katie L.\} and Genevieve McPhilemy",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.",

year = "2022",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1002/hbm.25204",

language = "English",

volume = "43",

pages = "470--499",

journal = "Human Brain Mapping",

issn = "1065-9471",

publisher = "Wiley-Liss Inc.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

AU - Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium

AU - Wierenga, Lara M.

AU - Doucet, Gaelle E.

AU - Dima, Danai

AU - Agartz, Ingrid

AU - Aghajani, Moji

AU - Akudjedu, Theophilus N.

AU - Albajes-Eizagirre, Anton

AU - Alnæs, Dag

AU - Alpert, Kathryn I.

AU - Andreassen, Ole A.

AU - Anticevic, Alan

AU - Asherson, Philip

AU - Banaschewski, Tobias

AU - Bargallo, Nuria

AU - Baumeister, Sarah

AU - Baur-Streubel, Ramona

AU - Bertolino, Alessandro

AU - Bonvino, Aurora

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I.

AU - Borgwardt, Stefan

AU - Bourque, Josiane

AU - den Braber, Anouk

AU - Brandeis, Daniel

AU - Breier, Alan

AU - Brodaty, Henry

AU - Brouwer, Rachel M.

AU - Buitelaar, Jan K.

AU - Busatto, Geraldo F.

AU - Calhoun, Vince D.

AU - Canales-Rodríguez, Erick J.

AU - Cannon, Dara M.

AU - Caseras, Xavier

AU - Castellanos, Francisco X.

AU - Chaim-Avancini, Tiffany M.

AU - Ching, Christopher R.K.

AU - Clark, Vincent P.

AU - Conrod, Patricia J.

AU - Conzelmann, Annette

AU - Crivello, Fabrice

AU - Davey, Christopher G.

AU - Dickie, Erin W.

AU - Ehrlich, Stefan

AU - van't Ent, Dennis

AU - Fisher, Simon E.

AU - Fouche, Jean Paul

AU - Franke, Barbara

AU - Fuentes-Claramonte, Paola

AU - de Geus, Eco J.C.

AU - Di Giorgio, Annabella

AU - Glahn, David C.

AU - Gotlib, Ian H.

AU - Grabe, Hans J.

AU - Gruber, Oliver

AU - Gruner, Patricia

AU - Gur, Raquel E.

AU - Gur, Ruben C.

AU - Gurholt, Tiril P.

AU - de Haan, Lieuwe

AU - Haatveit, Beathe

AU - Harrison, Ben J.

AU - Hartman, Catharina A.

AU - Hatton, Sean N.

AU - Heslenfeld, Dirk J.

AU - van den Heuvel, Odile A.

AU - Hickie, Ian B.

AU - Hoekstra, Pieter J.

AU - Hohmann, Sarah

AU - Holmes, Avram J.

AU - Hoogman, Martine

AU - Hosten, Norbert

AU - Howells, Fleur M.

AU - Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E.

AU - Huyser, Chaim

AU - Jahanshad, Neda

AU - James, Anthony C.

AU - Jiang, Jiyang

AU - Jönsson, Erik G.

AU - Joska, John A.

AU - Kalnin, Andrew J.

AU - Klein, Marieke

AU - Koenders, Laura

AU - Kolskår, Knut K.

AU - Krämer, Bernd

AU - Kuntsi, Jonna

AU - Lagopoulos, Jim

AU - Lazaro, Luisa

AU - Lebedeva, Irina S.

AU - Lee, Phil H.

AU - Lochner, Christine

AU - Machielsen, Marise W.J.

AU - Maingault, Sophie

AU - Martin, Nicholas G.

AU - Martínez-Zalacaín, Ignacio

AU - Mataix-Cols, David

AU - Mazoyer, Bernard

AU - McDonald, Brenna C.

AU - McDonald, Colm

AU - McIntosh, Andrew M.

AU - McMahon, Katie L.

AU - McPhilemy, Genevieve

PY - 2022/1

Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

AB - For many traits, males show greater variability than females, with possible implications for understanding sex differences in health and disease. Here, the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium presents the largest-ever mega-analysis of sex differences in variability of brain structure, based on international data spanning nine decades of life. Subcortical volumes, cortical surface area and cortical thickness were assessed in MRI data of 16,683 healthy individuals 1-90 years old (47% females). We observed significant patterns of greater male than female between-subject variance for all subcortical volumetric measures, all cortical surface area measures, and 60% of cortical thickness measures. This pattern was stable across the lifespan for 50% of the subcortical structures, 70% of the regional area measures, and nearly all regions for thickness. Our findings that these sex differences are present in childhood implicate early life genetic or gene-environment interaction mechanisms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences within the sexes, that may underpin sex-specific vulnerability to disorders.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85092397145

U2 - 10.1002/hbm.25204

DO - 10.1002/hbm.25204

M3 - Article

C2 - 33044802

AN - SCOPUS:85092397145

SN - 1065-9471

VL - 43

SP - 470

EP - 499

JO - Human Brain Mapping

JF - Human Brain Mapping

IS - 1

ER -

Greater male than female variability in regional brain structure across the lifespan

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