Sex Differences in Cognitive Impairment Induced by Cerebral Microhemorrhage

Excessive dietary fat intake is related to metabolic dysfunction and enhances susceptibility to hypertension and cognitive impairment. Although there are sex differences in the prevalence and progression of these diseases, few studies have investigated sex differences in cardio-metabolic and cognitive parameters in rats with high-fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction. To better reflect actual clinical conditions, sex-differences in rats with high-fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction were evaluated. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet to induce metabolic dysfunction and intraperitoneally injected with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and scopolamine to model vulnerability to hypertension and cognitive impairment, respectively, whereas control rats were fed a regular diet and treated with distilled water and 0.9% saline. Male experimental rats showed significantly higher systolic blood pressure than female experimental animals. More importantly, acetylcholine-induced relaxation of carotid arteries was decreased only in the male experimental rats, revealing a significant difference compared with female experimental rats. These findings provide evidence for individualized sex-based management of patients with metabolic dysfunction and susceptibilities to hypertension and cognitive impairment. Impact statement Excessive dietary fat intake plays important roles in the process of metabolic dysfunction and increases susceptibilities to chronic diseases such as hypertension. Few previous studies, however, have accurately reflected real-world medical conditions. In addition, studies performed to date have not examined detailed sex-differences in cardio-metabolic and cognitive parameters, precluding the development of sex-tailored interventions for patients with metabolic dysfunction who are susceptible to hypertension and cognitive impairment. In this study, using rats with HFD-induced metabolic dysfunction that made them susceptible to hypertension and cognitive impairment, we demonstrate that male rats show greater impairment of acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation of the carotid artery and systolic blood pressure compared to female rats. These findings may provide a basis for the early detection of carotid artery dysfunction and systolic blood pressure increase, especially in males.

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Multicenter Study on Sleep and Circadian Alterations as Objective Markers of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease Reveals Sex Differences

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-200632 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 78 (4) ◽

pp. 1707-1719

Author(s):

Biancamaria Guarnieri ◽

Michelangelo Maestri ◽

Federico Cucchiara ◽

Annalisa Lo Gerfo ◽

Alessandro Schirru ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Health Status ◽

Type I ◽

Activity Trackers ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Wearable Activity Trackers

Background: Circadian and sleep disturbances are associated with increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Wearable activity trackers could provide a new approach in diagnosis and prevention. Objective: To evaluate sleep and circadian rhythm parameters, through wearable activity trackers, in MCI and AD patients as compared to controls, focusing on sex dissimilarities. Methods: Based on minute level data from consumer wearable devices, we analyzed actigraphic sleep parameters by applying an electromedical type I registered algorithm, and the corresponding circadian variables in 158 subjects: 86 females and 72 males (42 AD, 28 MCI, and 88 controls). Moreover, we used a confusion-matrix chart method to assess accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity of two decision-tree models based on actigraphic data in predicting disease or health status. Results: Wake after sleep onset (WASO) was higher (p < 0.001) and sleep efficiency (SE) lower (p = 0.003) in MCI, and Sleep Regularity Index (SRI) was lower in AD patients compared to controls (p = 0.004). SE was lower in male AD compared to female AD (p = 0.038) and SRI lower in male AD compared to male controls (p = 0.008), male MCI (p = 0.047), but also female AD subjects (p = 0.046). Mesor was significantly lower in males in the overall population. Age reduced the dissimilarities for WASO and SE but demonstrated sex differences for amplitude (p = 0.009) in the overall population, controls (p = 0.005), and AD subjects (p = 0.034). The confusion-matrices showed good predictive power of actigraphic data. Conclusion: Actigraphic data could help identify disease or health status. Sex (possibly gender) differences could impact on neurodegeneration and disease trajectory with potential clinical applications.

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Sex differences in the relationship between cognitive impairment and overweight or obesity in late life

Medicine ◽

10.1097/md.0000000000014736 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 98 (9) ◽

pp. e14736 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hye-Mi Noh ◽

Junhee Han ◽

Yeo Jin Kim ◽

Jin-Hyung Jung ◽

Yong Kyun Roh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Late Life ◽

The Relationship ◽

Overweight Or Obesity

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COGNITIVE AND HEARING IMPAIRMENTS IN OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.300 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S77-S77

Author(s):

Jessica S West ◽

Scott Lynch

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Hearing Impairment ◽

Cognitive Impairments ◽

Hearing Impairments ◽

The Relationship ◽

Retirement Study ◽

Over Time

Abstract As the number of older adults increases, increased prevalence of cognitive and sensory impairments pose growing public health challenges. Research on the relationship between hearing impairment and cognition, however, is minimal and has yielded mixed results, with some studies finding that hearing impairment is associated with cognitive decline, and others reporting that the association is weak or non-existent. Most of this research has been conducted outside of the U.S., and the few U.S.-based longitudinal studies have relied mostly on small, non-representative samples involving short follow-up periods. Further, despite known gendered patterns in cognitive and hearing impairments, no studies to date have examined whether the relationship between the two varies by gender. Our study addresses these weaknesses in the literature by utilizing nine waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014; n=14,169), a large, nationally representative, longitudinal study that facilitates examination of long-term interrelationships between hearing and cognitive impairments. In this study, we use autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) methods to model: 1) the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive decline, and 2) sex differences in the relationship. ALT models enable us to determine whether hearing impairment and cognitive impairment are associated, net of their common tendency simply to co-trend with age. Results indicate that hearing and cognitive impairments are strongly interrelated processes that trend together over time. Moreover, hearing impairment has an increasing impact on cognitive impairment across age while the effect of cognitive impairment on hearing impairment levels out over time. Sex differences in these patterns are discussed.

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Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Markers and BDNF between Cerebral Palsy and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3731 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 1055-1055

Author(s):

Kheng Siang (Ted) Ng ◽

James Carollo ◽

Alex Tagawa ◽

Zhaoxing Pan ◽

Patricia Heyn

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Accelerated Aging ◽

Intermediate Stage ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) have higher risk of developing geriatric syndromes. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between healthy aging and dementia, often co-morbid with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We recently showed an “accelerated aging model”, where CP shares similar CVD risk factors with MCI, potentially accounting for CP’s increased risk of dementia. In this study, we further examined sex differences between CP and MCI (aim 1) and within CP (aim 2). From an accredited clinical motion analysis laboratory at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CP) and a university in Singapore (MCI), we recruited 72 adults with CP [mean (SD) of age=20 (5.3), Sex: men=47.2% and women=52.8%] and MCI [mean (SD) of age=71.28 (6.03), Sex: men=29.2% and women=70.8%]. We analyzed blood Pressure (BP), Framingham Heart Study Score (FHSS), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Compared to MCI, women with CP had lower BDNF (β=-3.550, 95% CI=-5.659 to -1.441, p=0.001), while men with CP had lower diastolic BP (β=-28.204, 95% CI=-52.148 to -4.260, p=0.022). Both women and men with CP also had lower FHSS, compared to MCI (β=-2.515, 95% CI=-3.721 to -1.309, p<0.001; β=-3.724, 95% CI=-5.561 to -1.888, p<0.001, respectively). Women in the CP cohort showed lower FHSS (β=-0.172, 95% CI=-0.310 to -0.033, p=0.016). We found sex-related differences in BDNF and CVD markers. Comparing across and within cohorts, although having lower BDNF levels, women with CP had better FHSS. These findings support our accelerated aging hypothesis, and further suggest sex differences in aging-related risk factors in CP, supporting sex-related precision medicine approach.

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