Sex differences in default mode network connectivity in healthy aging adults
Bronte Ficek-Tani, Corey Horien, Suyeon Ju, Nancy Li, Cheryl Lacadie, Xilin Shen, Dustin Scheinost, R Todd Constable, Carolyn A. Fredericks
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 595 |
| Population | Cognitively healthy participants from the Human Connectome Project - Aging cohort |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Women showed increased DMN connectivity with age in posterior nodes and decreased connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex compared with men, with differences most prominent around menopause. Increased connectivity from the posterior cingulate to the angular gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus correlated with declarative memory measures. The authors argue these aging-related patterns in women resemble changes previously observed in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. |
Abstract
Abstract: Women show an increased lifetime risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) compared to men. Characteristic brain connectivity changes, particularly within the default mode network (DMN), have been associated with both symptomatic and preclinical AD, but the impact of sex on DMN function throughout aging is poorly understood. We investigated sex differences in DMN connectivity over the lifespan in 595 cognitively healthy participants from the Human Connectome Project - Aging cohort. We used the intrinsic connectivity distribution (a robust voxel-based metric of functional connectivity) and a seed connectivity approach to determine sex differences within the DMN and between the DMN and whole brain. Compared with men, women demonstrated increased connectivity with age in posterior DMN nodes and decreased connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex. Differences were most prominent in the decades surrounding menopause. Seed-based analysis revealed increased connectivity in women from the posterior cingulate to angular gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus, which correlated with neuropsychological measures of declarative memory. Taken together, we show significant sex differences in DMN subnetworks over the lifespan, including patterns in aging women that resemble changes previously seen in preclinical AD. These findings highlight the importance of considering sex in neuroimaging studies of aging and neurodegeneration.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Amyloid Plaques Disrupt Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity in Cognitively Normal Elderly Biological Psychiatry October 15, 2009
- Relationships between Beta-Amyloid and Functional Connectivity in Different Components of the Default Mode Network in Aging Cerebral Cortex March 7, 2011
- Impairment and compensation coexist in amnestic MCI default mode network Neuroimage December 17, 2009
- Default mode network connectivity: effects of age, sex, and analytic approach Neuroreport May 28, 2008