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Abstract #3569

Gender Differences in Brain Structure & Resting State Activity: A Study in a Large Cohort of Young Healthy Subjects

Paola Valsasina1, Maria Assunta Rocca1, Gianna Riccitelli1, Andrea Falini2, Giancarlo Comi3, Massimo Filippi1

1Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; 2Department of Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; 3Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy


In this study, we assessed gender-related differences in the entity of resting state (RS) fluctuations in a large cohort of healthy subjects (48 males, 56 males, mean age=23.1 years). Voxel-based morphometry was also run to investigate the correspondence between functional and structural differences. RS activity was found to be increased in males vs. females in several regions of the temporal and parietal lobes, whereas females had a higher RS activity than males in the frontal lobes, the cerebellum and several visual and auditory areas. Gender-related RS functional differences had only a minimal overlap with gray matter volume differences.