Shang Zhilei, Liu Nianqi, Ouyang Hui, Cai Xiaojie, Yan Wenjie, Wang Jing, Zhan Jingye, Jia Yanpu, Xing Chenqi, Huang Lijun, Wu Lili, Liu Weizhi
Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Heliyon. 2024 Apr 26;10(9):e30354. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30354. eCollection 2024 May 15.
Sex-based differences are known to be a significant feature of chronic stress; however, the morphological mechanisms of the brain underlying these differences remain unclear. The present study aimed to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the effects of sex on gray matter volume (GMV) changes under conditions of chronic stress.
A total of 32 subjects were included for analysis in the present study: 16 participants experiencing chronic stress and 16 healthy controls. T1-weighted (T1WI) images from a 3 T MRI scanner were extracted from the OpenfMRI database. Images were segmented into gray matter using VBM analysis. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a 2 × 2 full factorial design was used to evaluate the main and interaction effects of chronic stress and sex on GMV changes, and then post hoc testing was used to verify each simple effect.
Two-way ANOVA showed a chronic stress × sex interaction effect on GMV. Simple effects analysis indicated that the GMV of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right cuneus and superior occipital gyrus was decreased in males, whereas that of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right superior occipital gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus and orbital middle frontal gyrus was increased in females, under chronic stress. Additionally, in the control group, the GMV of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right cuneus and superior occipital gyrus was greater in males than females. While in the chronic stress group, the above sex-based differences were no longer significant.
This study preliminarily shows that there are significant differences in gray matter volume changes between males and females under chronic stress. These findings provide a basis for future studies investigating the volumetric mechanisms of sex differences under chronic stress.
基于性别的差异是慢性应激的一个显著特征；然而，这些差异背后的大脑形态学机制仍不清楚。本研究旨在使用磁共振成像（MRI）和基于体素的形态学测量（VBM）来研究性别对慢性应激条件下灰质体积（GMV）变化的影响。
本研究共纳入32名受试者进行分析：16名经历慢性应激的参与者和16名健康对照者。从OpenfMRI数据库中提取3T MRI扫描仪的T1加权（T1WI）图像。使用VBM分析将图像分割为灰质。采用2×2全因子设计的双向方差分析（ANOVA）来评估慢性应激和性别对GMV变化的主效应和交互效应，然后进行事后检验以验证每个简单效应。
双向ANOVA显示慢性应激×性别对GMV有交互效应。简单效应分析表明，在慢性应激下，男性双侧中央前回和中央后回、右侧楔叶和枕上回的GMV降低，而女性双侧中央前回和中央后回、右侧枕上回以及左侧额中回和眶额中回的GMV增加。此外，在对照组中，男性双侧中央前回和中央后回、右侧楔叶和枕上回的GMV大于女性。而在慢性应激组中，上述基于性别的差异不再显著。
本研究初步表明，慢性应激下男性和女性的灰质体积变化存在显著差异。这些发现为未来研究慢性应激下性别差异的体积机制提供了基础。
