Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41684635›Full record

ArticlePsychoradiology2026

Sex differences in brain activity and connectivity in late-life depression.

Xiaomin Zheng, Ben Chen, Mingfeng Yang, Shuang Liang, Zhidai Xiao, Danyan Xu, Haoye Tan, Qiang Wang, Qin Liu, Jiafu Li and 3 more

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Article in Psychoradiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Xiaomin ZhengThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China.
Ben ChenGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Mingfeng YangGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Shuang LiangGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Zhidai XiaoGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Danyan XuThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China.
Haoye TanGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Qiang WangGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Qin LiuThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China.
Jiafu LiGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Pengbo GaoGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Xiaomei ZhongGeriatric Neuroscience Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510370, China.
Yuping NingThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5727-2782

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: There are notable sex differences in the symptoms and treatment response of late-life depression (LLD); however, the underlying static and dynamic abnormalities in brain function that may drive these disparities remain unclear. This study was to investigate sex-specific aberrant brain activity in LLD. Methods: We recruited 75 LLD patients and 164 healthy controls (HCs). Static and dynamic metrics of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity (FC) were compared across four groups (LLD-female, LLD-male, HC-female, and HC-male). Correlation and moderation analyses were then used to examine whether sex moderated the associations between brain activity, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms. Results: First, significant interaction effects between diagnosis (LLD vs. HCs) and sex were found for ALFF in the left paracentral lobule, ReHo in the right superior temporal gyrus, and static FC (sFC) between the right superior temporal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus. Second, in LLD-female, ReHo (right superior temporal gyrus) and sFC (right superior temporal gyrus-left middle frontal gyrus) correlated with weight, and ALFF (left paracentral lobule) correlated with visuospatial skills. Third, sex significantly moderated the relationships between ReHo (right superior temporal gyrus) and cognition, ALFF (left paracentral lobule) and depressive symptoms, and sFC (right superior temporal gyrus-left middle frontal gyrus) and depressive symptoms in the LLD group. Conclusion: Our study highlights sex differences in static brain activity related to cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms in LLD, indicating sex-specific neurobiological underpinnings for this disorder.

Indexed as

amplitude of low-frequency fluctuationscognitive impairmentlate-life depressionregional homogeneityresting-state fMRIsex difference

Identifiers

PMID41684635
PMCPMC12892001

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