Sex Differences and Implications for Translational Neuroscience Research: Workshop Summary

Excerpt

Biologically based differences between the sexes impact human development and behavior in both obvious and subtle ways. Sex differences are also apparent across the spectrum of health and disease, impacting not only individual health, but also public health, biomedical research, and healthcare delivery. Researchers have begun to elucidate these differences and their potential impact in areas such as pain and pain perception, infection, longevity, disease incidence and course, and cellular response and inflammation. Studies have shown, for example, that males and females can have markedly different responses to certain medications; in some cases these unexpected differences have led to the recall of products from the market (GAO, 2001). In the current era of translational research and personalized medicine, it is increasingly important to take sex differences into account, so that the potential effects of products and therapies can be more fully understood.