Considerations for Studying Sex as a Biological Variable in Spinal Cord Injury.

ABSTRACT: In response to NIH initiatives to investigate sex as a biological variable in preclinical animal studies, researchers have increased their focus on male and female differences in neurotrauma. Inclusion of both sexes when modeling neurotrauma is leading to the identification of novel areas for therapeutic and scientific exploitation. Here, we review the organizational and activational effects of sex hormones on recovery from injury and how these changes impact the long-term health of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. When determining how sex affects SCI it remains imperative to expand outcomes beyond locomotor recovery and consider other complications plaguing the quality of life of patients with SCI. Interestingly, the SCI field predominately utilizes female rodents for basic science rese

SUBMITTER: Stewart AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7419700 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature