title: Sex, hormones, and genotype interact to influence psychiatric disease, treatment, and behavioral research.
abstract: Sex differences exist in the vulnerability, incidence, manifestation, and treatment of numerous neurological and psychiatric diseases. Despite this observation prominent in the literature, little consideration has been given to possible sex differences in outcome in both preclinical and clinical research. This Mini-Review highlights evidence supporting why studying sex differences matter for advances in brain health as well as improving treatment for neurological and psychiatric disease. Additionally, we discuss some statistical and methodological considerations in evaluating sex differences as well as how differences in the physiology of the sexes can contribute to sex difference in disease incidence and manifestation. Furthermore, we review literature demonstrating that the reproductive experience in the female can render the female brain differentially vulnerable to disease across age. Finally, we discuss how genes interact with sex to influence disease risk and treatment and argue that sex must be considered in precision medicine. Together the evidence reviewed here supports the inclusion of males and females at all levels of neuroscience research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T1Z3, Canada.
authors.forename: Aarthi R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gobinath
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Choleris
authors.affiliation: Centre for Brain Health, Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T1Z3, Canada.|Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T1Z3, Canada.
authors.forename: Liisa A M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Galea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035841:Behavioral Research; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: genotype; hormones; neurological diseases; psychiatric diseases; reproduction