Gender differences in neural activation during perceptual uncertainty in patients with major depression

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S200-S200 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Sobanski ◽  
H. Sauer ◽  
K.J. Bär ◽  
G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
The Brain

IntroductionAlthough male and female patients with major depression (MDD) differ in psychopathology and other illness characteristics, a potentially confounding effect of gender has not been systematically controlled or investigated in most of the previous neuroimaging studies.ObjectivesWe investigated activation patterns during processing of ambiguous stimuli in MDD by functional MRI.AimsWe aimed at examining potential activation differences between male and female patients.MethodsA matching task was employed in which two stimuli with varying degrees of perceptual uncertainty had to be compared with respect to their sameness. Eighteen patients meeting DSM-IV criteria of MDD and eighteen healthy control subjects participated in this study.ResultsWhereas on the level of behavioral performance no significant group differences could be detected we found distinct disorder- and gender-related differences in the brain activation. Patients activated significantly stronger in superior parietal, prefrontal and cingulate regions. Gender specific analyses revealed that the hyperactivity in the patient group was mainly attributable to hyperactivity in the male patients who activated significantly stronger than the female patients in an extensive fronto-temporo-limbic network, which partly overlapped with the network we found when comparing patients and healthy controls.DiscussionOur results indicate that male patients seem to be reliant on a significantly stronger metabolism in task-relevant regions to maintain an equal level of performance.ConclusionThe present results provide evidence for gender-related differences in the functional organization of the brain in patients with MDD. Gender differences should be taken into consideration when investigating the neural correlates of MDD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals The Effects of Gender Differences in Patients with Depression on Their Emotional Working Memory and Emotional Experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Li ◽  
Shengfu Lu ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
Ning Zhong
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Mood Congruence ◽  
Male Patients

A large amount of research has been conducted on the effects of sex hormones on gender differences in patients with depression, yet research on cognitive differences between male and female patients with depression is insufficient. This study uses emotion pictures to investigate the differences of the emotional working memory ability and emotional experience in male and female patients with depression. Despite identifying that the working memory of patients with depression is impaired, our study found no significant gender differences in emotional working memory. Moreover, the research results revealed that memory effects of mood congruence are produced in both men and women, which may explain why the depression state can be maintained. Furthermore, female patients have more emotional experiences than male patients, which is particularly significant in terms of negative emotional experiences. This result provides cognitive evidence to explain why women suffer from longer terms of depression, are more susceptible to relapse, and can more easily suffer from major depressive disorder in the future.

scholarly journals Sex-Disaggregated Data on Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengdie Wang ◽  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Changjun Li ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Heping Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Male Patients

BackgroundSex and gender are crucial variables in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We sought to provide information on differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes between male and female patients and to explore the effect of estrogen in disease outcomes in patients with COVID-19.MethodIn this retrospective, multi-center study, we included all confirmed cases of COVID-19 admitted to four hospitals in Hubei province, China from Dec 31, 2019 to Mar 31, 2020. Cases were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR and were analyzed for demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiographic parameters. Random-effect logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between sex and disease outcomes.ResultsA total of 2501 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were included in the present study. The clinical manifestations of male and female patients with COVID-19 were similar, while male patients have more comorbidities than female patients. In terms of laboratory findings, compared with female patients, male patients were more likely to have lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, inflammatory response, hypoproteinemia, and extrapulmonary organ damage. Random-effect logistic regression analysis indicated that male patients were more likely to progress into severe type, and prone to ARDS, secondary bacterial infection, and death than females. However, there was no significant difference in disease outcomes between postmenopausal and premenopausal females after propensity score matching (PSM) by age.ConclusionsMale patients, especially those age-matched with postmenopausal females, are more likely to have poor outcomes. Sex-specific differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes do exist in patients with COVID-19, but estrogen may not be the primary cause. Further studies are needed to explore the causes of the differences in disease outcomes between the sexes.

scholarly journals Gender Differences of First Admitted Patients with Acute Psychotic Disorder

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
A.-M. Murgulescu
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Psychiatric Hospital ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
First Admission

Objective:The gender differences in aspect of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics have been analyzed in a sample of first admitted patients with acute psychotic disorder in an acute psychiatric hospital.Method:Retrospective sociodemographic and clinical data regarding first admitted patients diagnosed with acute psychotic disorder were gathered and analyzed.Results:Of all patients 52.7% were female and 47.3% were male. We analyzed gender differences in age of onset, marital status, education period, employment status, and time between onset of symptoms and admission in hospital. Female patients were older at their first admission than male patients, and more female patients were educated longer than male patients. Female patients tend to be married (30%) and employed (40%) at the time of their admission than male patients (11.1% married and 22.2% employed). the time between onset of symptoms and admission in hospital was longer for the majority of male patients (more than 1 year for 62.9% of men) than for the majority of female patients (0-3 months for 40% of women).Conclusions:There were gender differences in age of onset, marital status, education period, employment status, time between onset of symptoms and admission in hospital pointing to the role played by biopsychosocials factors in onset of acute psychotic disorder.

A Novel DNA/RNA FISH X Inactivation Assay Reveals a Nonrandom, Ploidy-Dependent Acquisition of the Active and Inactive X Chromosomes in Childhood Hyperdiploid Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1080-1080
Author(s):  
Oskar A. Haas ◽  
Petra Zeitlhofer ◽  
Sabine Strehl ◽  
Michael Pfeilstoecker ◽  
Margit Koenig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
X Chromosomes ◽  
Childhood All ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Rna Fish ◽  
Random Fashion ◽  
Male Patients

Abstract The most common numerical chromosome aberration in childhood ALL and NHL is the gain of an extra X chromosome in both male and female patients. We were therefore interested to investigate whether this non-disjunction event affects the active and inactive X chromosomes in a random or non-random fashion. In female cases both the active or inactive X may be duplicated randomly or non-randomly, whereas in male patients only the solitary active homologue can be copied. However, in theory a duplicated active X might subsequently also be subjected to de novo inactivation in both sexes. The inactivation status of acquired X chromosomes is usually evaluated by methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR), which allows the simultaneous quantification of various differentially methylated polymorphic DNA sequences on the X chromosome, such as those contained in the HUMARA or FMR1 genes. Previous evidence from such analyses suggested that in NHL patients the acquired X chromosomes are and remain always active in male patients, whereas in females both the active and inactive X are duplicated in a random fashion (McDonald et al, Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer 28:246;2000). In childhood ALL this issue has not yet been investigated. However, quantification with MS-PCR has its limitations, especially in cases with low blast cells numbers. To overcome this problem, we have therefore developed a simultaneous dual-color DNA/RNA FISH assay that enables the enumeration of active and inactive X chromosomes on a single cell level. FISH was performed with probes specific for the X centromere and the XIST RNA, which is exclusively expressed from and covers vast parts of the inactive X in human interphase cells. Following the successful evaluation of the assay on methanol/acetic acid-fixed cells that were obtained from 10 healthy individuals and 23 cases with various constitutional X chromosome aneuploidies, we analyzed 54 methanol/acetic acid-fixed samples from hyperdiploid cases of childhood ALL and 29 from NHL. The ALL cases comprised 24 males with two X, 23 females with three X and seven females with four X. The NHL cases consisted of 18 male (9 in the hypo- to hyperdiploid and 9 in the pseudotriploid to pseudotetraploid range) and 11 female patients (7 with three X and 4 with four X chromosomes). In contrast to all constitutional control samples, which as expected contained only one active X, two of the three X in leukemic cell samples from both male and female patients were active. The only exception was a male patient, who most likely was a Klinefelter syndrome with a constitutional XXY. In contrast, all female patients with four X had duplicated both the active and inactive X chromosome. These findings prove that irrespective of the sex of the patient, the active X is exclusively duplicated in cases with three X chromosomes. The consistent gain of both the active and inactive X in female cases with four X, on the other hand, further corroborates previously established evidence that in all instances a single non-discjunction event leads to the maldistribution of chromosomes irrespective of the ploidy range. Moreover, the exclusive presence of duplicated active X chromosomes in hyperdiploid ALL concurs with and explains the results of gene expression profiling studies, which have shown a corresponding over-expression of X-encoded genes.

scholarly journals Distributed affective space represents multiple emotion categories across the brain

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heini Saarimäki ◽  
Lara Farzaneh Ejtehadian ◽  
Enrico Glerean ◽  
liro P. Jääskeläinen ◽  
Patrik Vuilleumier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Organization ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Discrete Emotion ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
The Brain

The functional organization of human emotion systems as well as their neuroanatomical basis and segregation in the brain remains unresolved. Here we used pattern classification and hierarchical clustering to reveal and characterize the organization of discrete emotion categories in the human brain. We induced 14 emotions (6 “basic”, such as fear and anger; and 8 “non-basic”, such as shame and gratitude) and a neutral state in participants using guided mental imagery while their brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twelve out of 14 emotions could be reliably classified from the fMRI signals. All emotions engaged a multitude of brain areas, primarily in midline cortices including anterior and posterior cingulate and precuneus, in subcortical regions, and in motor regions including cerebellum and premotor cortex. Similarity of subjective emotional experiences was associated with similarity of the corresponding neural activation patterns. We conclude that the emotions included in the study have discrete neural bases characterized by specific, distributed activation patterns in widespread cortical and subcortical circuits, and highlight both overlaps and differences in the locations of these for each emotion. Locally differentiated engagement of these globally shared circuits defines the unique neural fingerprint activity pattern and the corresponding subjective feeling associated with each emotion.

scholarly journals Gender aspects in cardiooncology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Hohneck ◽  
Florian Custodis ◽  
Stephanie Rosenkaimer ◽  
Ralf Hofheinz ◽  
Sandra Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Cancer Susceptibility ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Gender Aspects

Abstract Background Cardiooncology is a relatively new subspeciality, investigating the side effects of cytoreductive therapies on the cardiovascular (CV) system. Gender differences are well known in oncological and CV diseases, but are less elucidated in cardiooncological collectives. Methods Five hundred and fifty-one patients (278 male, 273 female) with diagnosed cancer who underwent regular cardiological surveillance were enrolled in the ‘MAnnheim Registry for CardioOncology’ and followed over a median of 41 (95% confidence interval: 40–43) months. Results Female patients were younger at the time of first cancer diagnosis [median 60 (range 50–70) vs. 66 (55–75), P = 0.0004], while the most common tumour was breast cancer (49.8%). Hyperlipidaemia was more often present in female patients (37% vs. 25%, P = 0.001). Male patients had a higher cancer susceptibility than female patients. They suffered more often from hypertension (51% vs. 67%, P = 0.0002) or diabetes (14% vs. 21%, P = 0.02) and revealed more often vitamin D deficiency [(U/l) median 26.0 (range 17–38) vs. 16 (9–25), P = 0.002] and anaemia [(g/dl) median 11.8 (range 10.4–12.9) vs. 11.7 (9.6–13.6), P = 0.51]. During follow-up, 140 patients died (male 77, female 63; P = 0.21). An increased mortality rate was observed in male patients (11.4% vs. 14%, P = 0.89), with even higher mortality rates of up to 18.9% vs. 7.7% (P = 0.02) considering tumours that can affect both sexes compared. Conclusions Although female patients were younger at the time of first cancer diagnosis, male patients had both higher cancer susceptibility and an increased mortality risk. Concomitant CV diseases were more common in male patients.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Prescribing Antihypertensive Drugs in a Public Hospital in Alkharj

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Nehad J. Ahmed ◽  
Menshawy A. Menshawy ◽  
Ziyad S. Almalki
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Antihypertensive Drugs ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Angiotensin Receptors ◽  
Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Prescribing Trends

Introduction: Hypertension is considered one of the most significant risk factors for mortality and morbidity worldwide. There are major clinical implications for gender-specific pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. It is important to know the potential gender differences in hypertension treatment and to know the prescribing trends in male and female hypertensive patients in order to optimize the treatment of hypertension. Aim: This is a retrospective study that aims to describe the difference in prescribing antihypertensive drugs between male and female patients. Methodology: This is a retrospective study that includes the revision of patient electronic records of outpatients with hypertension in 2018 in Alkharj. Results: The total number of prescribed antihypertensive drugs was 1838 drugs. The calcium channel blocker was the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive class (27.86%). The study showed that there are different patterns of antihypertensive drug use among hypertensive men and women and showed that female patients are more frequently treated with diuretics and less frequently with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptors blockers than male patients. Conclusion: Stratified guidelines and policies based on gender will be appropriate if more studies show a difference in the efficacy and safety of antihypertensive drugs between male and female patients. It is important to conduct more studies about these differences.

scholarly journals T150. SEX DIFFERENCES IN PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS: FINDINGS FROM A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE IN KOSOVO

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S288-S288
Author(s):  
Manuela Russo ◽  
Fitim Uka ◽  
Jon Konjufca ◽  
Fjolla Ramadani ◽  
Dashamir Berxulli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychosocial Intervention ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Psychosocial Treatment ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Male Patients

Abstract Background The need for mental health care services is particularly high in low and middle income countries (LMICs) where socio-economic factors have a deep impact on treatment and management of psychosis. Lack of funds and qualified professional represent the main challenge to treatment gap leaving between 36% and 45% of people with psychosis without care for their condition thus having a huge impact at individual and societal level. Although data from epidemiological research show that prevalence of psychosis is equal between sexes, some differences in terms of needs for care might be relevant, particularly in a context that has been affected by dramatic socio-economic and cultural changes. In this study we explore in a representative sample of people with psychosis from Kosovo*, as part of a large multi-country study (EU-funded IMPULSE project), whether demographic, socio-economic and clinical differences exist between male and female patients. Methods Data on demographic, socio-economic characteristics, use of psychosocial treatment and medication was collected; general level of psychopathology and negative symptoms were assessed through the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory and Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms. Male and female patients were compared in terms of demographic, socio-economic and clinical characteristics using Chi-square and independent sample t- test as appropriate. Results The sample (n=103) was composed by 33 female and 70 male patients with psychosis. The two groups did not show any statistically significant difference in age, employment, level of education; however, marital status seems to differ with higher proportion of women being separated (p=0.009). No differences emerged in monthly income, while a trend of significance (p=0.079) suggested that female patients had slightly higher financial benefits than their male counterpart. While there was no difference in terms of psychiatric diagnosis, higher depressive (p=0.017) and paranoid symptoms (at trend level, p=0.054) were reported by females patients. There were no differences on antipsychotic medication. Attendance of a psychosocial treatment was higher in male than in female patients (80% vs 57.6%; p=0.017) without any difference though in the type of approach. Overall, patients who attended a psychosocial treatment had lower negative symptoms (p<0.001) compared to those who did not. Discussion Female patients with psychosis were found to have a worse clinical presentation compared to male patients, and to have a lower attendance to psychosocial treatment. Regardless of sex, psychosocial treatment seems to be associated to less negative symptomatology. More research is needed to better characterise clinical presentation of people with psychosis in LMICs and to understand whether access to mental health service, particularly psychosocial intervention, is accountable to clinical characteristics or to contextual factors, social and/or economic in nature. Offering psychosocial intervention to this clinical population could alleviate burden of the illness in this clinical population.

scholarly journals Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: Does Gender Impact Outcomes?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011420S0022
Author(s):  
Arianna L. Gianakos ◽  
Olasunmbo Okedele ◽  
Sean Flynn ◽  
John G. Kennedy ◽  
Christopher W. DiGiovanni
Keyword(s):  
Osteochondral Lesions ◽  
Symptom Duration ◽  
Osteochondral Transplantation ◽  
Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation ◽  
Duration Of Symptoms ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
The Mean

Category: Ankle; Arthroscopy Introduction/Purpose: Autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) is commonly used in the treatment of osteochondral lesions (OCL) of the talus. There is limited data comparing gender differences in the incidence, presentation, and outcomes following AOT. The purpose of this study is to compare these differences between male and female patients. Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients who underwent AOT were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on gender. Demographic data and OCL defect characteristic data were recorded. Functional outcomes were assessed pre- and post-operatively using the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). The Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score was used to assess cartilage incorporation. The mean clinical follow-up was 47.2 months, with mean MRI follow-up of 24.8 months. Results: Fifty-five (65%) males and 30 (35%) females were included. OCL defect size was significantly larger in men (112.8mm2) when compared with women (88.7mm2) (p<0.0001). Male patients had a significantly longer duration of symptoms (p<0.001) and OCLs were more likely traumatic in nature (p=0.0006) when compared with female patients. Mean FAOS improved pre- to postoperatively from 50 to 81(P < .001) with a statistically significant increase in men (p<0.0001). The mean MOCART score was 82.1 and 86.7 in male and female patients, respectively (p<0.0001). Lesion size was negatively correlated with MOCART score (r = -0.36,P = .004). No differences were found in knee donor site morbidity, complication rate, or revision surgery. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that male patients typically present with talar OCLs that are larger in size, traumatic in nature, and with longer symptom duration when compared with female patients. In addition, male patients had greater improvement in FAOS scores following AOT. Therefore, understanding these differences may influence the management and treatment of talar OCLs in male and female patients.

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