Assari Shervin, Boyce Shanika, Jovanovic Tanja
Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
Children (Basel). 2021 May 18;8(5):411. doi: 10.3390/children8050411.
This study tested sex differences in the association between hippocampal volume and working memory of a national sample of 9-10-year-old children in the US. As the hippocampus is functionally lateralized (especially in task-related activities), we explored the results for the right and the left hippocampus.
This is a cross-sectional study using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study data. This analysis included baseline ABCD data ( = 10,093) of children between ages 9 and 10 years. The predictor variable was right and left hippocampal volume measured by structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). The primary outcome, list sorting working memory, was measured using the NIH toolbox measure. Sex was the moderator. Age, race, ethnicity, household income, parental education, and family structure were the covariates.
In the overall sample, larger right (b = 0.0013; < 0.001) and left (b = 0.0013; < 0.001) hippocampal volumes were associated with higher children's working memory. Sex had statistically significant interactions with the right (b = -0.0018; = 0.001) and left (b = -0.0012; = 0.022) hippocampal volumes on children's working memory. These interactions indicated stronger positive associations between right and left hippocampal volume and working memory for females compared to males.
While right and left hippocampal volumes are determinants of children's list sorting working memory, these effects seem to be more salient for female than male children. Research is needed on the role of socialization, sex hormones, and brain functional connectivity as potential mechanisms that may explain the observed sex differences in the role of hippocampal volume as a correlate of working memory.
本研究在美国9至10岁儿童的全国样本中，测试海马体体积与工作记忆之间关联的性别差异。由于海马体在功能上存在偏侧化（尤其是在与任务相关的活动中），我们探究了右侧和左侧海马体的结果。
这是一项使用青少年大脑认知发展（ABCD）研究数据的横断面研究。该分析纳入了9至10岁儿童的ABCD基线数据（n = 10,093）。预测变量是通过结构磁共振成像（sMRI）测量的右侧和左侧海马体体积。主要结果，即列表排序工作记忆，使用美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）工具箱测量。性别是调节变量。年龄、种族、族裔、家庭收入、父母教育程度和家庭结构是协变量。
在总体样本中，右侧（b = 0.0013；p < 0.001）和左侧（b = 0.0013；p < 0.001）海马体体积越大，儿童的工作记忆越高。性别与右侧（b = -0.0018；p = 0.001）和左侧（b = -0.0012；p = 0.022）海马体体积在儿童工作记忆上存在统计学显著的交互作用。这些交互作用表明，与男性相比，女性的右侧和左侧海马体体积与工作记忆之间的正相关更强。
虽然右侧和左侧海马体体积是儿童列表排序工作记忆的决定因素，但这些影响在女童中似乎比男童更为显著。需要研究社会化、性激素和脑功能连接的作用，作为可能解释观察到的海马体体积在工作记忆关联中性别差异的潜在机制。
