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Sex, glia, and development: interactions in health and disease.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Schwarz, JM; Bilbo, SD
Published in: Horm Behav
August 2012

Microglia and astrocytes are the primary immune cells within the central nervous system. Microglia influence processes including neural development, synaptic plasticity and cognition; while their activation and production of immune molecules can induce stereotyped sickness behaviors or pathologies including cognitive dysfunction. Given their role in health and disease, we propose that glia may also be a critical link in understanding the etiology of many neuropsychiatric disorders that present with a strong sex-bias in their symptoms or prevalence. Specifically, males are more likely to be diagnosed with disorders that have distinct developmental origins such as autism or schizophrenia. In contrast, females are more likely to be diagnosed with disorders that present later in life, after the onset of adolescence, such as depression and anxiety disorders. In this review we will summarize the evidence suggesting that sex differences in the colonization and function of glia within the normal developing brain may contribute to distinct windows of vulnerability between males and females. We will also highlight the current gaps in our knowledge as well as the future directions and considerations of research aimed at understanding the link between neuroimmune function and sex differences in mental health disorders.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Horm Behav

DOI

EISSN

1095-6867

Publication Date

August 2012

Volume

62

Issue

3

Start / End Page

243 / 253

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Characteristics
  • Neuroglia
  • Mental Disorders
  • Male
  • Female
  • Brain
  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
  • Animals
  • 52 Psychology
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
 

Citation

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Schwarz, J. M., & Bilbo, S. D. (2012). Sex, glia, and development: interactions in health and disease. Horm Behav, 62(3), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.018
Schwarz, Jaclyn M., and Staci D. Bilbo. “Sex, glia, and development: interactions in health and disease.Horm Behav 62, no. 3 (August 2012): 243–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.018.
Schwarz JM, Bilbo SD. Sex, glia, and development: interactions in health and disease. Horm Behav. 2012 Aug;62(3):243–53.
Schwarz, Jaclyn M., and Staci D. Bilbo. “Sex, glia, and development: interactions in health and disease.Horm Behav, vol. 62, no. 3, Aug. 2012, pp. 243–53. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.018.
Schwarz JM, Bilbo SD. Sex, glia, and development: interactions in health and disease. Horm Behav. 2012 Aug;62(3):243–253.
Journal cover image

Published In

Horm Behav

DOI

EISSN

1095-6867

Publication Date

August 2012

Volume

62

Issue

3

Start / End Page

243 / 253

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Characteristics
  • Neuroglia
  • Mental Disorders
  • Male
  • Female
  • Brain
  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
  • Animals
  • 52 Psychology
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences