| Title: | Robust but independent sex differences in human brain function, structure, and behavior |
| Journal: | Nature Communications |
| Published: | 21 May 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42168179/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73262-2 |
Publication 19953
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Abstract
The neurobiological accompaniments of well-established sex differences in human behavior and disease remain unclear - in part due to a lack of large, diverse functional neuroimaging studies. We address this gap using over 700 h of fMRI data across seven tasks from 978 individuals with extensive structural and behavioral measures. We find that sex differences in task-activation are widespread (85% of cortex) and reproducible, largely task-specific, of small to moderate effect size, and unaligned with brain volume differences. While machine learning can classify sex from brain activation, volume, or behavior, these data types provide orthogonal information. Brain-wide association studies reveal that links between brain activation and behavior are highly conserved between sexes. The few subtle sex differences in brain-behavior linkage that do exist are not preferentially localized to sex-biased behaviors. Our findings clarify the nature of sex differences in human brain function and their links with neuroanatomy and behavior, providing a useful foundation for future research.</p>
8 Authors
- Siyuan Liu
- Bridget W. Mahony
- Ethan T. Whitman
- Stephen J. Gotts
- Dustin Moraczewski
- Adam Thomas
- Alex Martin
- Armin Raznahan
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 22875 | Confirmation and expansion of NIH intramural results related to brain imaging, gene-dose effects and genetic scores |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health