Biology of Sex Differences最新文献

{"title":"Parental kynurenine 3-monooxygenase genotype in mice directs sex-specific behavioral outcomes in offspring.","authors":"Snezana Milosavljevic, Maria V Piroli, Emma J Sandago, Gerardo G Piroli, Holland H Smith, Sarah Beggiato, Norma Frizzell, Ana Pocivavsek","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00703-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00703-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Disruptions in brain development can impact behavioral traits and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, often in sex-specific ways. Dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan metabolism has been implicated in cognitive and neurodevelopmental disorders. Increased brain kynurenic acid (KYNA), a neuroactive metabolite implicated in cognition and sleep homeostasis, and variations in the Kmo gene, which encodes kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), have been identified in these patients. We hypothesize that parental Kmo genetics influence KP biochemistry, sleep behavior and brain energy demands, contributing to impairments in cognition and sleep in offspring through the influence of parental genotype and genetic nurture mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A mouse model of partial Kmo deficiency, Kmo heterozygous (HET-Kmo^+/-), was used to examine brain KMO activity, KYNA levels, and sleep behavior in HET-Kmo^+/- compared to wild-type control (WT-Control) mice. Brain mitochondrial respiration was assessed, and KP metabolites and corticosterone levels were measured in breast milk. Behavioral assessments were conducted on wild-type offspring from two parental groups: (i) WT-Control from WT-Control parents, (ii) wild-type Kmo (WT-Kmo^+/+) from Kmo heterozygous parents (HET-Kmo^+/-). All mice were C57Bl/6J background strain. Adult female and male offspring underwent behavioral testing for learning, memory, anxiety-like behavior and sleep-wake patterns.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HET-Kmo^+/- mice exhibited reduced brain KMO activity, increased KYNA levels, and disrupted sleep architecture and electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra. Mitochondrial respiration (Complex I and Complex II activity) and electron transport chain protein levels were impaired in the hippocampus of HET-Kmo^+/- females. Breast milk from HET-Kmo^+/- mothers increased kynurenine exposure during lactation but corticosterone levels were unchanged. Compared to WT-Control offspring, WT-Kmo^+/+ females showed impaired spatial learning, heightened anxiety, reduced sleep and abnormal EEG spectral power. WT-Kmo^+/+ males had deficits in reversal learning but no sleep disturbances or anxiety-like behaviors.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that Kmo deficiency impacts KP biochemistry, sleep behavior, and brain mitochondrial function. Even though WT-Kmo^+/+ inherit identical genetic material as WT-Control, their development might be shaped by the parent's physiology, behavior, or metabolic state influenced by their Kmo genotype, leading to phenotypic sex-specific differences in offspring.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"22"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11967062/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143771265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of childhood maltreatment, HIV status, and their interaction on mental health outcomes and markers of systemic inflammation in women.","authors":"Amanda Arnold, Heqiong Wang, C Christina Mehta, Paula-Dene C Nesbeth, Brahmchetna Bedi, Caitlin Kirkpatrick, Caitlin A Moran, Abigial Powers, Alicia K Smith, Kimbi Hagen, M Neale Weitzmann, Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Cecile D Lahiri, Jessica A Alvarez, Arshed A Quyyumi, Gretchen N Neigh, Vasiliki Michopoulos","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00704-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00704-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Childhood maltreatment and HIV are both associated with a greater risk for adverse mental health, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and increased systemic inflammation. However, it remains unknown whether childhood maltreatment and HIV interact to exacerbate PTSD, depression, and inflammation in a manner that may further increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in people living with HIV. This study investigated the interaction between childhood maltreatment and HIV status on PTSD and depression symptom severity, and on peripheral concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in women. We hypothesized that women living with HIV (WLWH) who report high levels of childhood maltreatment exposure would show the greatest PTSD and depressive symptoms, as well as the highest concentrations of LPS and hsCRP.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional study of 116 women (73 WLWH and 43 women without HIV). Participants completed interviews to measure trauma exposure, including childhood maltreatment, and PTSD and depression symptoms. They also provided blood samples that were analyzed for LPS and hsCRP concentrations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both women living with and without HIV reported high rates of trauma exposure and showed no statistically significant differences in overall rates of childhood maltreatment. Moderate to severe childhood maltreatment was associated with higher PTSD symptom severity (p =.005), greater depression severity (p =.005), and elevated plasma LPS concentrations (p =.045), regardless of HIV status. There were no effects of childhood maltreatment on hsCRP concentrations. There were no detectable significant effects of HIV status, or interactions between HIV status and childhood maltreatment, on PTSD and depression symptoms, or LPS and hsCRP concentrations (all p's > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings highlight the impact of childhood maltreatment on depression and PTSD symptoms and LPS concentrations in women. These results underscore the importance of trauma-informed health care in addressing childhood maltreatment to potentially improve both mental and physical health outcomes of adult women.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"21"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11951744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143742100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences research is important!","authors":"Jill B Becker, Sofia B Ahmed","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00702-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00702-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"20"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11892286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143596035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences in the microglial response to stress and chronic alcohol exposure in mice.","authors":"Alexa R Soares, Vernon Garcia-Rivas, Caroline Fai, Merrilee Thomas, Xiaoying Zheng, Marina R Picciotto, Yann S Mineur","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00701-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00701-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Women are more susceptible to stress-induced alcohol drinking, and preclinical data suggest that stress can increase alcohol intake in female rodents; however, a comprehensive understanding of the neurobiological processes underlying this sex difference is still emerging. Neuroimmune signaling, particularly by microglia, the brain's macrophages, is known to contribute to dysregulation of limbic circuits following stress and alcohol exposure. Females exhibit heightened immune reactivity, so we set out to characterize sex differences in the microglial response to stress and alcohol exposure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male and female C57BL/6J mice were administered alcohol over 15 or 22 trials of a modified Drinking in the Dark paradigm, with repeated exposure to inescapable footshock stress and the stress-paired context. Mice were perfused immediately after drinking and we performed immunohistochemical analyses of microglial density, morphology, and protein expression in subregions of the amygdala and hippocampus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed dynamic sex differences in microglial phenotypes at baseline and in response to stress and alcohol. Microglia in the hippocampus displayed more prominent sex differences and heightened reactivity to stress and alcohol. Chronic alcohol exposure decreased density of amygdala microglia and lysosomal expression.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We analyzed multiple measures of microglial activation, resulting in a comprehensive assessment of microglial changes mediated by sex, stress, and alcohol. These findings highlight the complexity of microglial contributions to the development of AUD and comorbid mood and stress disorders in men and women.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881309/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143555790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breaking rules: the complex relationship between DNA methylation and X-chromosome inactivation in the human placenta.","authors":"Amy M Inkster, Allison M Matthews, Tanya N Phung, Seema B Plaisier, Melissa A Wilson, Carolyn J Brown, Wendy P Robinson","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00696-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00696-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The human placenta is distinct from most organs due to its uniquely low-methylated genome. DNA methylation (DNAme) is particularly depleted in the placenta at partially methylated domains and on the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in XX samples. While Xi DNAme is known to be critical for X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in other tissues, its role in the placenta remains unclear. Understanding X-linked DNAme variation in the placenta may provide insights into XCI and have implications for prenatal development and phenotypic sex differences.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>DNAme data were analyzed from over 350 human placental (chorionic villus) samples, along with samples from cord blood, amnion and chorion placental membranes, and fetal somatic tissues. We characterized X chromosome DNAme variation in the placenta relative to sample variables including cell composition, ancestry, maternal age, placental weight, and fetal birth weight, and compared these patterns to other tissues. We also evaluated the relationship between X-linked DNAme and previously reported XCI gene expression status in placenta.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our findings confirm that the placenta exhibits significant depletion of DNAme on the Xi compared to other tissues. Additionally, we observe that X chromosome DNAme profiles in the placenta are influenced by cell composition, particularly trophoblast proportion, with minimal DNAme variation across gestation. Notably, low promoter DNAme is observed at most genes on the Xi regardless of XCI status, challenging known associations in somatic tissues between low promoter DNAme and escape from XCI.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides evidence that the human placenta has a distinct Xi DNAme landscape, which may inform our understanding of sex differences during prenatal development. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying the placenta's unique X-linked DNAme profile, and the factors involved in placental XCI maintenance.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11877730/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143555789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-dependent effects of a high-fat diet on the hypothalamic response in mice.","authors":"Virginie Dreux, Candice Lefebvre, Charles-Edward Breemeersch, Colin Salaün, Christine Bôle-Feysot, Charlène Guérin, Pierre Déchelotte, Alexis Goichon, Moïse Coëffier, Ludovic Langlois","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00699-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00699-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sex differences in rodent models of diet-induced obesity are still poorly documented, particularly regarding how central mechanisms vary between sexes in response to an obesogenic diet. Here, we wanted to determine whether obese phenotype and hypothalamic response to a high-fat diet (HFD) differed between male and female C57Bl/6J mice. Mice were exposed to either a 60% HFD or a standard diet first for both a long- (14 weeks) and shorter-periods of time (3, 7, 14 and 28 days). Analysis of the expression profile of key neuronal, glial and inflammatory hypothalamic markers was performed using RT-qPCR. In addition, astrocytic and microglial morphology was examined in the arcuate nucleus. Monitoring of body weight and composition revealed that body weight and fat mass gain appeared earlier and was more pronounced in male mice. After 14 weeks of HFD exposure, normalized increase of body weight reached similar levels between male and female mice. Overall, both sexes under HFD displayed a decrease of orexigenic neuropeptides expression while an increase in Pomc gene expression was observed only in female mice. In addition, changes in the expression of hypothalamic inflammatory markers were relatively modest. We also reported that the glial cell markers expression and morphology were affected by HFD in a sex- and time dependent manner, suggesting a more pronounced glial cell activation in female mice. Taken together, these data show that male and female mice responded differently to HFD exposure, both on short- and long-term and suggest that a strong inflammatory hypothalamic profile is not systematically present in diet-induced obesity models. Nevertheless, in addition to these present data, the underlying mechanisms should be deciphered in further investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11854408/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143498572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences in romantic love: an evolutionary perspective.","authors":"Adam Bode, Severi Luoto, Phillip S Kavanagh","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00698-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00698-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Evolutionary selection pressures, most notably sexual selection, have created (and continue to sustain) many psychobehavioral differences between females and males. One such domain where psychobehavioral sex differences may be prominent is romantic love. The ways in which females and males may experience and express romantic love differently has been studied in psychology as well as in the arts down the ages; however, no studies have focused specifically on romantic love (i.e., passionate love) using validated measures of romantic love solely in people who are currently experiencing this form of love.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study investigated sex differences in features and aspects of romantic love among 808 young adults experiencing romantic love. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to measure sex differences in the number of times participants had fallen in love, when they fell in love relative to when they started their romantic relationship (love progression), intensity of romantic love, obsessive thinking about a loved one, and commitment. Additional univariate comparisons were made for sex differences in Passionate Love Scale scores.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Univariate analyses showed that males had fallen in love a greater number of times than females. Males had also fallen in love more quickly than females. Females had higher intensity of romantic love, higher commitment, and higher obsessive thinking about a loved one than males. These findings remained robust in multivariate analyses, controlling for several variables believed to influence romantic love, with the exception of commitment, which was no longer significant when other variables were controlled for.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings are considered with reference to the evolutionary theory of sexual selection. We suggest that the specific adaptive challenges faced by females and males in the evolutionary history of romantic love may contribute to sex differences in romantic love. The findings shed light on contemporary sex differences in romantic love, as well as the possible evolutionary history and evolutionary functions of romantic love.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11849325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143490572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-specific effects of gastrointestinal microbiome disruptions on Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric carcinogenesis in INS-GAS mice.","authors":"Chao Peng, Xin Li, Yu Li, Xinbo Xu, Yaobin Ouyang, Nianshuang Li, Nonghua Lu, Yin Zhu, Cong He","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00700-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00700-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Accumulating evidence indicates that the dysbiosis of gastrointestinal microbiota is associated with the development of gastric carcinogenesis. However, the sex-specific traits of gastrointestinal microbiota and their correlation with the sexually dimorphic response to gastric cancer remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Male and female transgenic FVB/N insulin-gastrin (INS-GAS) mice as a model of gastric cancer were randomly administered Brucella Broth or Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Stomachs were evaluated by histopathology. The gastric inflammation was examined by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. Gastric mucosal and fecal samples were collected for microbiota analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Following H. pylori infection, male mice showed heightened inflammatory infiltration and notably greater intestinal metaplasia compared to female mice. The structure of gastrointestinal microbiota was different between male and female mice, with relative higher diversity in females than males. Notably, we found gender disparities in the alterations of gastric and intestinal microbiota in mice post H. pylori infection. While the enrichment of Bifidobacterium and Lachnospiraceae was observed in female mice, Escherichia_Shigella and Akkermansia were more abundant in males. Furthermore, the microbial profile was distinct in estrogen-deficient ovariectomized (OVX) mice, including the overgrowth of Akkermansia and the loss of Butyricicoccus. Infected OVX females developed significantly more severe gastric lesions, which was normalized through co-housing with intact females.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We have identified a novel microbiome-based mechanism that provides insight into the sexual dimorphism in the development of H. pylori-associated gastric cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11846230/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143476245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chromosomal and gonadal sex have differing effects on social motivation in mice.","authors":"Sneha M Chaturvedi, Simona Sarafinovska, Din Selmanovic, Katherine B McCullough, Raylynn G Swift, Susan E Maloney, Joseph D Dougherty","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00690-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00690-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sex differences in brain development are thought to lead to sex variation in social behavior. Sex differences are fundamentally driven by both gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes, yet little is known about the independent effects of each on social behavior. Further, mouse models of the genetic liability for the neurodevelopmental disorder MYT1L Syndrome have shown sex-specific deficits in social motivation. In this study, we aimed to determine if gonadal hormones or sex chromosomes primarily mediate the sex differences seen in mouse social behavior, both at baseline and in the context of Myt1l haploinsufficiency.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four-core genotypes (FCG) mice, which uncouple gonadal and chromosomal sex, were crossed with MYT1L heterozygous mice to create eight different groups with unique combinations of sex factors and MYT1L genotype. A total of 131 mice from all eight groups were assayed for activity and social behavior via the open field and social operant paradigms. Measures of social seeking and orienting were analyzed for main effects of chromosome, gonads, and their interactions with Myt1l mutation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The FCGxMYT1L cross revealed independent effects of both gonadal and chromosomal sex on activity and social behavior. Specifically, the presence of ovarian hormones led to greater overall activity, social seeking, and social orienting regardless of MYT1L genotype. In contrast, sex chromosomes affected social behavior mainly in the MYT1L heterozygous group, with XX MYT1L mutant mice demonstrating elevated levels of social orienting and seeking compared to XY MYT1L mutant mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Gonadal and chromosomal sex have independent mechanisms of driving greater social motivation in females. Additionally, genes on the sex chromosomes may interact with neurodevelopmental risk genes to influence sex variation in atypical social behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837725/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Own-gender bias in facial feature recognition yields sex differences in holistic face processing.","authors":"Tobias Hausinger, Björn Probst, Stefan Hawelka, Belinda Pletzer","doi":"10.1186/s13293-025-00695-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13293-025-00695-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Female observers in their luteal cycle phase exhibit a bias towards a detail-oriented rather than global visuospatial processing style that is well-documented across cognitive domains such as pattern recognition, navigation, and object location memory. Holistic face processing involves an integration of global patterns and local parts into a cohesive percept and might thus be susceptible to the influence of sex and cycle-related processing styles. This study aims to investigate potential sex differences in the part-whole effect as a measure a of holistic face processing and explores possible relationships with sex hormone levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>147 participants (74 male, 51 luteal, 22 non-luteal) performed a part-whole face recognition task while being controlled for cycle phase and sex hormone status. Eye tracking was used for fixation control and recording of fixation patterns.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found significant sex differences in the part-whole effect between male and luteal phase female participants. In particular, this sex difference was based on luteal phase participants exhibiting higher face part recognition accuracy than male participants. This advantage was exclusively observed for stimulus faces of women. Exploratory analyses further suggest a similar advantage of luteal compared to non-luteal participants, but no significant difference between non-luteal and male participants. Furthermore, testosterone emerged as a possible mediator for the observed sex differences.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results suggest a possible modulation of face encoding and/or recognition by sex and hormone status. Moreover, the established own-gender bias in face recognition, that is, female advantage in recognition of faces of the same gender might be based on more accurate representations of face-parts.</p>","PeriodicalId":8890,"journal":{"name":"Biology of Sex Differences","volume":"16 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11841357/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}