Recent developments in understanding brain aging: sex differences, mechanisms, and implications in diseases

Abstract

Exemplified by the disproportionate cases of Alzheimer’s disease among women, many diseases show considerable sexual disparity in the aging process. Given that such a sex bias varies significantly in different neurological conditions, considering sex differences is necessary for the diagnosis as well as the treatment of neurological disorders. However, currently, relatively few studies have specifically focused on sex differences in brain aging or the general aging process, which has prevented the development of precision medicine for these sex-different diseases. Here, we summarize age-related disparities relating to cognitive function and dysfunction for males and females from human cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. By discussing potential anatomical and physiological bases underlying such differences, we highlight the importance of sex for aging studies in this review, which may hopefully shed light on understanding the precise causes of different brain diseases.