Exploring sex differences in neurological conditions

Conditions such as Tourette syndrome (TS), schizophrenia, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have sex differences with unknown mechanisms. These sex-specific mechanisms may inform the development of more effective treatments. In a new JNeurosci paper, Meghan Van Zandt and Christopher Pittenger used mice to shed light on the mechanisms underlying sex differences in these psychiatric conditions. 

Prior to this study, the researchers knew that these neurological disorders are characterized by altered dopamine signaling in the same brain network. Additionally, human genetic studies implicate a natural compound called histamine in dysregulating dopamine signaling to potentially underlie at least TS. Thus, Van Zandt and Pittenger examined sex differences in how histamine interacts with dopamine signaling in this brain network.  

By manipulating histamine signaling in mice, the researchers discovered that histamine had opposite effects on dopamine levels in males and females: Histamine decreased dopamine in males and increased dopamine in females. In females, this effect was influenced by the estrous cycle. The researchers also found sex differences in the mechanisms through which histamine regulated dopamine levels.  

According to the authors, this study may inform treatment development, suggesting that sex-specific treatments targeting different histamine receptors may effectively correct dopamine signaling in TS, schizophrenia, and ADHD.   

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About JNeurosci 

JNeurosci was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. 

About The Society for Neuroscience 

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries.