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An analysis of neuroscience and psychiatry papers published from 2009 and 2019 outlines opportunities for increasing discovery of sex differences

Author

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  • Rebecca K. Rechlin

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia)

  • Tallinn F. L. Splinter

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia)

  • Travis E. Hodges

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia)

  • Arianne Y. Albert

    (University of British Columbia
    BC Women’s Hospital)

  • Liisa A. M. Galea

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia)

Abstract

Sex differences exist in many neurological and psychiatric diseases, but these have not always been addressed adequately in research. In order to address this, it is necessary to consider how sex is incorporated into the design (e.g. using a balanced design) and into the analyses (e.g. using sex as a covariate) in the published literature. We surveyed papers published in 2009 and 2019 across six journals in neuroscience and psychiatry. In this sample, we find a 30% increase in the percentage of papers reporting studies that included both sexes in 2019 compared with 2009. Despite this increase, in 2019 only 19% of papers in the sample reported using an optimal design for discovery of possible sex differences, and only 5% of the papers reported studies that analysed sex as a discovery variable. We conclude that progress to date has not been sufficient to address the importance of sex differences in research for discovery and therapeutic potential for neurological and psychiatric disease.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca K. Rechlin & Tallinn F. L. Splinter & Travis E. Hodges & Arianne Y. Albert & Liisa A. M. Galea, 2022. "An analysis of neuroscience and psychiatry papers published from 2009 and 2019 outlines opportunities for increasing discovery of sex differences," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29903-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29903-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Nikki Forrester, 2020. "Diversity in science: next steps for research group leaders," Nature, Nature, vol. 585(7826), pages 65-67, September.
    3. Janine A. Clayton & Francis S. Collins, 2014. "Policy: NIH to balance sex in cell and animal studies," Nature, Nature, vol. 509(7500), pages 282-283, May.
    4. David Westergaard & Pope Moseley & Freja Karuna Hemmingsen Sørup & Pierre Baldi & Søren Brunak, 2019. "Population-wide analysis of differences in disease progression patterns in men and women," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
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