Is there something sexual in the ventral midline thalamus?

Abstract

This mini-review explores sexual dimorphism in the ventral midline thalamus, focusing on the reuniens nucleus and its role in behavioral functions. Traditionally linked to tasks such as working memory, cognitive flexibility, fear generalization, and memory consolidation, most studies have been conducted in male rodents. Research comparing the effects of ventral midline thalamus manipulations between female and male rodents is limited. Emerging evidence suggests sex-specific differences, particularly in response to stress, pharmacological manipulations, and memory processes. Studies reveal distinct c-Fos expression patterns in the reuniens nucleus between females and males, especially under stress, with females often showing different neural activation. Additionally, females exhibit different recruitment of the reuniens nucleus in object recognition tasks, indicating possible sex-dependent cognitive strategies. While evidence suggests functional differences between sexes in the reuniens nucleus, current data are limited. Further research is needed to understand how sex influences brain function and cognition, particularly in the ventral midline thalamus, which is crucial for various cognitive processes.