Sex differences and age-related changes of large-scale brain networks.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational neuroimaging study in healthy adults.
PubMed 40619358 · doi:10.1186/s12880-025-01811-0
What was done
Resting-state functional MRI data from 436 healthy adults were analyzed using independent component analysis to identify large-scale brain networks. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to evaluate sex differences in inter-network functional connectivity (FC), voxel-level analysis was conducted for intra-network FC differences, and Pearson correlations were used to evaluate associations between age and connectivity measures.
What was found
The abstract reports directional findings without numerical effect sizes, test statistics, or p-values: - Males showed stronger inter-network FC across multiple networks compared to females. - Females demonstrated stronger intra-network FC in the sensorimotor, salience, auditory, and executive control networks. - Males demonstrated stronger intra-network FC only in specific regions of the posterior default mode and left frontoparietal networks. - Age-related declines in inter-network FC were more pronounced in females, whereas males showed relatively stable inter-network FC across the lifespan. - Intra-network FC generally decreased with age in both sexes, except for the ventral attention network in females and the dorsal sensorimotor network in males.
Why it matters
This work outlines distinct organizational profiles in resting-state functional connectivity between sexes and indicates that age-related network remodeling differs between males and females.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values. The cross-sectional design cannot directly establish within-individual longitudinal aging trajectories. Detailed demographic variables, such as age distribution or hormonal status, and neuroimaging motion-correction specifics are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports The function and stability of the frontoparietal brain network, which is critical for focus and attention, decreases with age.