Lee Bonnie H, Eid Rand S, Hodges Travis E, Barth Claudia, Galea Liisa A M
Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2025 Apr;21(4):214-229. doi: 10.1038/s41574-024-01061-0. Epub 2024 Nov 25.
Sex differences, driven in part by steroid hormones, shape the structure and function of the brain throughout the lifespan and manifest across brain health and disease. The influence of steroid hormones on neuroplasticity, particularly in the adult hippocampus, differs between the sexes, which has important implications for disorders and diseases that compromise hippocampus integrity, such as depression and Alzheimer disease. This Review outlines the intricate relationship between steroid hormones and hippocampal neuroplasticity across the adult lifespan and explores how the unique physiology of male and female individuals can affect health and disease. Despite calls to include sex and gender in research, only 5% of neuroscience studies published in 2019 directly investigated the influence of sex. Drawing on insights from depression, Alzheimer disease and relevant hippocampal plasticity, this Review underscores the importance of considering sex and steroid hormones to achieve a comprehensive understanding of disease susceptibility and mechanisms. Such consideration will enable the discovery of personalized treatments, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for all.
性别差异在一定程度上由类固醇激素驱动，在整个生命周期中塑造大脑的结构和功能，并在大脑健康和疾病中表现出来。类固醇激素对神经可塑性的影响，尤其是在成年海马体中，在性别之间存在差异，这对损害海马体完整性的疾病，如抑郁症和阿尔茨海默病，具有重要意义。本综述概述了成年期类固醇激素与海马体神经可塑性之间的复杂关系，并探讨了男性和女性个体的独特生理机能如何影响健康和疾病。尽管有人呼吁在研究中纳入性别因素，但2019年发表的神经科学研究中只有5%直接调查了性别的影响。借鉴抑郁症、阿尔茨海默病和相关海马体可塑性的见解，本综述强调了考虑性别和类固醇激素对于全面理解疾病易感性和发病机制的重要性。这种考虑将有助于发现个性化治疗方法，最终改善所有人的健康状况。
