Cortical thickness, surface area, and multisite pain: distinct patterns by sex in adolescence.

IF 5.3 2区医学 Q1 ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM

Biology of Sex Differences Pub Date : 2026-04-06 DOI:10.1186/s13293-026-00898-6

Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez, Christel Portengen, Tristin Smith, Hannah C Becker, Andrew Schrepf, Steven E Harte, Adriene M Beltz, Chelsea M Kaplan

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Abstract

Background: Multisite pain is common during adolescence and is influenced by sex-related neurobiological and developmental factors, but its developmental neural mechanisms are unclear.

Methods: Utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, we investigated the relation between cortical brain structure and multisite pain (assessed by youth self-reports of painful regions on a body map) in male (N = 3,299) and female (N = 2,844) adolescents aged 11-12 years. We focused on brain regions functionally linked to multisite pain (i.e., bilateral sensorimotor, cingulate, fronto-insular and inferior parietal cortex). We also explored the moderating role of pubertal status (assessed by the Pubertal Development Scale).

Results: Findings revealed distinct brain structure-pain associations in male and female youth. Male youth exhibited an inverse linear relation between cortical thickness of the left pre- and postcentral gyri and number of pain sites. Female youth exhibited a non-linear relation between surface area of the right supramarginal gyrus and number of pain sites. Pubertal status moderated the cingulate cortical thickness-pain association in males; those in early puberty had an inverse relation between anterior and mid cingulate cortex thickness and pain sites, whereas this relation was positive in those beyond mid-puberty.

Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the sex-dependent neural organization linked to adolescent pain.

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皮质厚度、表面积和多部位疼痛：青春期不同性别的不同模式。

背景：多部位疼痛在青春期很常见，受与性别有关的神经生物学和发育因素的影响，但其发育神经机制尚不清楚。方法：利用青少年大脑和认知发展研究的数据，研究了11-12岁男性（N = 3,299）和女性（N = 2,844）青少年大脑皮质结构与多部位疼痛（通过青少年在身体地图上自我报告疼痛区域来评估）之间的关系。我们关注的是与多部位疼痛功能相关的大脑区域（即双侧感觉运动皮层、扣带皮层、额岛皮层和下顶叶皮层）。我们还探讨了青春期状态（用青春期发育量表评估）的调节作用。结果：研究结果显示，男性和女性青年的大脑结构与疼痛有明显的联系。男性青年的左中央前回和后回的皮质厚度与疼痛部位的数量呈反比线性关系。女性青年右边缘上回表面积与疼痛部位数量呈非线性关系。青春期状态调节了男性扣带皮质厚度与疼痛的关系；青春期早期的儿童扣带皮层前部和中部厚度与疼痛部位呈负相关，而青春期中期以后的儿童则呈正相关。结论：这项研究为与青少年疼痛相关的性别依赖神经组织提供了有价值的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Biology of Sex Differences ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM-GENETICS & HEREDITY

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

1.30%

发文量

审稿时长

14 weeks

期刊介绍： Biology of Sex Differences is a unique scientific journal focusing on sex differences in physiology, behavior, and disease from molecular to phenotypic levels, incorporating both basic and clinical research. The journal aims to enhance understanding of basic principles and facilitate the development of therapeutic and diagnostic tools specific to sex differences. As an open-access journal, it is the official publication of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and co-published by the Society for Women's Health Research. Topical areas include, but are not limited to sex differences in: genomics; the microbiome; epigenetics; molecular and cell biology; tissue biology; physiology; interaction of tissue systems, in any system including adipose, behavioral, cardiovascular, immune, muscular, neural, renal, and skeletal; clinical studies bearing on sex differences in disease or response to therapy.