Shared functional connections within and between cortical networks predict cognitive abilities in adult males and females.

TitleShared functional connections within and between cortical networks predict cognitive abilities in adult males and females.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2022
AuthorsDhamala E, Jamison KW, Jaywant A, Kuceyeski A
JournalHum Brain Mapp
Volume43
Issue3
Pagination1087-1102
Date Published2022 02 15
ISSN1097-0193
KeywordsAdult, Cerebral Cortex, Connectome, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Machine Learning, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Nerve Net, Sex Factors, Young Adult
Abstract

A thorough understanding of sex-independent and sex-specific neurobiological features that underlie cognitive abilities in healthy individuals is essential for the study of neurological illnesses in which males and females differentially experience and exhibit cognitive impairment. Here, we evaluate sex-independent and sex-specific relationships between functional connectivity and individual cognitive abilities in 392 healthy young adults (196 males) from the Human Connectome Project. First, we establish that sex-independent models comparably predict crystallised abilities in males and females, but only successfully predict fluid abilities in males. Second, we demonstrate sex-specific models comparably predict crystallised abilities within and between sexes, and generally fail to predict fluid abilities in either sex. Third, we reveal that largely overlapping connections between visual, dorsal attention, ventral attention, and temporal parietal networks are associated with better performance on crystallised and fluid cognitive tests in males and females, while connections within visual, somatomotor, and temporal parietal networks are associated with poorer performance. Together, our findings suggest that shared neurobiological features of the functional connectome underlie crystallised and fluid abilities across the sexes.

DOI10.1002/hbm.25709
Alternate JournalHum Brain Mapp
PubMed ID34811849
PubMed Central IDPMC8764478
Grant ListR21 NS104634 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
K12 HD093427 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
R21 NS120227-01 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
R01 NS102646-01A1 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
R21 NS120227 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
R21 NS104634-01 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
U54 MH091657 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
R01 NS102646 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
/ HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
Related Institute: 
Brain Health Imaging Institute (BHII)

Weill Cornell Medicine
Department of Radiology
525 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065