Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis
Abstract Background Women are more susceptible to multiple sclerosis (MS) than men by a ratio of approximately 3:1. However, being male is a risk factor for worse disability progression. Inflammatory genes have been linked to susceptibility, while neurodegeneration underlies disability progression....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Biology of Sex Differences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13293-020-00326-3 |
| _version_ | 1818883147742314496 |
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| author | Rhonda R. Voskuhl Kevin Patel Friedemann Paul Stefan M. Gold Michael Scheel Joseph Kuchling Graham Cooper Susanna Asseyer Claudia Chien Alexander U. Brandt Cassandra Eve Meyer Allan MacKenzie-Graham |
| author_facet | Rhonda R. Voskuhl Kevin Patel Friedemann Paul Stefan M. Gold Michael Scheel Joseph Kuchling Graham Cooper Susanna Asseyer Claudia Chien Alexander U. Brandt Cassandra Eve Meyer Allan MacKenzie-Graham |
| author_sort | Rhonda R. Voskuhl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Women are more susceptible to multiple sclerosis (MS) than men by a ratio of approximately 3:1. However, being male is a risk factor for worse disability progression. Inflammatory genes have been linked to susceptibility, while neurodegeneration underlies disability progression. Thus, there appears to be a differential effect of sex on inflammation versus neurodegeneration. Further, gray matter (GM) atrophy is not uniform across the brain in MS, but instead shows regional variation. Here, we study sex differences in neurodegeneration by comparing regional GM atrophy in a cohort of men and women with MS versus their respective age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Methods Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), deep GM substructure volumetry, and cortical thinning were used to examine regional GM atrophy. Results VBM analysis showed deep GM atrophy in the thalamic area in both men and women with MS, whereas men had additional atrophy in the putamen as well as in localized cortical regions. Volumetry confirmed deep GM loss, while localized cortical thinning confirmed GM loss in the cerebral cortex. Further, MS males exhibited worse performance on the 9-hole peg test (9HPT) than MS females. We observed a strong correlation between thalamic volume and 9HPT performance in MS males, but not in MS females. Conclusion More regional GM atrophy was observed in men with MS than women with MS, consistent with previous observations that male sex is a risk factor for worse disease progression. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T15:29:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31e56c00d8584ce5924b0a948fedf9a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2042-6410 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T15:29:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology of Sex Differences |
| spelling | doaj.art-31e56c00d8584ce5924b0a948fedf9a62022-12-21T20:15:47ZengBMCBiology of Sex Differences2042-64102020-08-0111111010.1186/s13293-020-00326-3Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosisRhonda R. Voskuhl0Kevin Patel1Friedemann Paul2Stefan M. Gold3Michael Scheel4Joseph Kuchling5Graham Cooper6Susanna Asseyer7Claudia Chien8Alexander U. Brandt9Cassandra Eve Meyer10Allan MacKenzie-Graham11Department of Neurology, University of California, Los AngelesDepartment of Neurology, University of California, Los AngelesExperimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthInstitute for Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis (INIMS), Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-EppendorfInstitute of Neuroradiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthExperimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthExperimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthExperimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthExperimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthNeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of HealthDepartment of Neurology, University of California, Los AngelesDepartment of Neurology, University of California, Los AngelesAbstract Background Women are more susceptible to multiple sclerosis (MS) than men by a ratio of approximately 3:1. However, being male is a risk factor for worse disability progression. Inflammatory genes have been linked to susceptibility, while neurodegeneration underlies disability progression. Thus, there appears to be a differential effect of sex on inflammation versus neurodegeneration. Further, gray matter (GM) atrophy is not uniform across the brain in MS, but instead shows regional variation. Here, we study sex differences in neurodegeneration by comparing regional GM atrophy in a cohort of men and women with MS versus their respective age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Methods Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), deep GM substructure volumetry, and cortical thinning were used to examine regional GM atrophy. Results VBM analysis showed deep GM atrophy in the thalamic area in both men and women with MS, whereas men had additional atrophy in the putamen as well as in localized cortical regions. Volumetry confirmed deep GM loss, while localized cortical thinning confirmed GM loss in the cerebral cortex. Further, MS males exhibited worse performance on the 9-hole peg test (9HPT) than MS females. We observed a strong correlation between thalamic volume and 9HPT performance in MS males, but not in MS females. Conclusion More regional GM atrophy was observed in men with MS than women with MS, consistent with previous observations that male sex is a risk factor for worse disease progression.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13293-020-00326-3Multiple sclerosisSex differencesNeuroimagingNeurodegenerationDisability progression |
| spellingShingle | Rhonda R. Voskuhl Kevin Patel Friedemann Paul Stefan M. Gold Michael Scheel Joseph Kuchling Graham Cooper Susanna Asseyer Claudia Chien Alexander U. Brandt Cassandra Eve Meyer Allan MacKenzie-Graham Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis Biology of Sex Differences Multiple sclerosis Sex differences Neuroimaging Neurodegeneration Disability progression |
| title | Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis |
| title_full | Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis |
| title_short | Sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis |
| title_sort | sex differences in brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis |
| topic | Multiple sclerosis Sex differences Neuroimaging Neurodegeneration Disability progression |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13293-020-00326-3 |
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