Oct, 1, 2023

Vol.30 No.2, pp. 84-88

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Review

  • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
  • Volume 19(2); 2012
  • Article

Review

Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry 2012;19(2):77-83. Published online: Feb, 1, 2012

Abstract PDF Full Text

Sex Differences in Cerebellar Structure of Healthy Adults

  • Jihyun H. Kim, MD*1;Sujin Bae, MS*2;Keun Taik Ryu, MS3;Min-Seong Kang, BS3;Soo Mee Lim, MD3;Sunho Lee, BS2;Sojin Lee, MD4;Eun Ko, BS5; and Do-Un Jeong, MD6,7;
    1;Department of Psychiatry, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu, 2;Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, 3;Department of Radiology and Medical Research Institute, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, 4;Department of Psychiatry, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, 5;Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Seoul National University College of Humanities, Seoul, 6;Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 7;Center for Sleep and Chronobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
Abstract

Objectives : Although there have been studies that examine sex differences of the brain structures using magnetic resonance imaging, studies that specifically investigate cerebellar structural differences between men and women are scarce. The purpose of current study was to examine sex differences in structures of the cerebellum using cerebellar template and cerebellum analysis methods.

Methods : Sixteen men and twenty women were included in the study. A MATLAB based program (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA), Statistical Parametric Mapping 5 (SPM5) using the spatially unbiased infra-tentorial atlas template (SUIT) as the cerebellum template, was used to analyze the brain imaging data.

Results : There was no significant difference in age between men (mean age = 28.1) and women (mean age = 27.2). Men showed higher gray matter density than women in two left cerebellar areas including the clusters in the lobules IV and V (a cluster located across the lobules IV and V), and the lobule VIIIb (lobules IV and V, t = 4.75, p < 0.001 ; lobule VIIIb, t = 3.08, p = 0.004).

Conclusions : The current study found differences in cerebellar gray matter density between men and women. The current study holds its significance for applying the template specifically developed for the analysis of cerebellum.

Keywords Cerebellum;Magnetic resonance imaging.