title: Sex differences in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) displays a greater prevalence and earlier age at onset in men. This review addresses the concept that sex differences in PD are determined, largely, by biological sex differences in the NSDA system which, in turn, arise from hormonal, genetic and environmental influences. Current therapies for PD rely on dopamine replacement strategies to treat symptoms, and there is an urgent, unmet need for disease modifying agents. As a significant degree of neuroprotection against the early stages of clinical or experimental PD is seen, respectively, in human and rodent females compared with males, a better understanding of brain sex dimorphisms in the intact and injured NSDA system will shed light on mechanisms which have the potential to delay, or even halt, the progression of PD. Available evidence suggests that sex-specific, hormone-based therapeutic agents hold particular promise for developing treatments with optimal efficacy in men and women.
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom. Electronic address: g.gillies@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Glenda E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Gillies
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ilse S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Pienaar
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shiv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vohra
authors.affiliation: Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Zahi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qamhawi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: Neuroprotection; Nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways; Parkinson’s disease; Sex differences; Sex hormones