中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2025, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (10): 2901-2902.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00753

• 观点:退行性病与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

衰老和大脑损伤的性别差异

  

  • 出版日期:2025-10-15 发布日期:2025-02-08

Sex differences in aging and injured brain

Jordan N. Williamson, Yuan Yang*   

  1. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Grainger College of Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Urbana, IL, USA (Williamson JN, Yang Y) Carle Foundation Hospital, Stephenson Family Clinical Research Institute, Clinical Imaging Research Center, Urbana, IL, USA (Yang Y) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, USA (Yang Y) Northwestern University, Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA (Yang Y)
  • Online:2025-10-15 Published:2025-02-08
  • Contact: Yuan Yang, PhD, yuany@illinois.edu.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by NIH/NICHD R01 HD109157. Dr. Yang’s time on this work was also supported by his American Heart Association Award Career Development Award (932980) and National Science Foundation CAREER award (NSF 2401215).

摘要: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2442-3713 (Yuan Yang)

Abstract: Background: The prevalence, age of onset, and symptomatology of traumatic brain injury, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease) differ substantially between males and females. The higher prevalence of these brain disorders has been attributed to females having a greater longevity compared with males. Since one of the greatest risk factors of acquired brain injury (such as stroke, traumatic brain injury caused by fall) and neurodegenerative disease is age, it would be reasonable to state that more females would live long enough to develop a brain disorder. However, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis shows that even when baseline data is adjusted for demographic covariates such as age, females continue to have worse rehabilitation outcomes and account for more deaths compared to males (Ali, 2022). Increasing evidence suggests other factors are contributing to the sex-specific risk of brain diseases for females. These may include hormonal differences, genetics, menopause, pregnancy, and productivity, as well as gender differences in social and cultural roles, such as depression, education level, family burden, and sleep. Studying these sex differences is important because if sex is a crucial biological variable in disease heterogeneity, understanding these differences provides the potential for the generation of alternative approaches to identify the cause and provide treatment. This aids in the development of more precise medical interventions and better outcomes.