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Sex differences in latent inhibition and their implications for psychotic disorders

Mawson, E. R.; Hall, J.; Thomas, K. L.

2025-09-30 neuroscience
10.1101/2025.09.24.677991 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Latent inhibition (LI) has been extensively studied to investigate associative learning and memory processes as well as modelling aberrant attribution of salience to irrelevant stimuli in both humans and animals, a process which is thought to underpin hallucinations and delusions in psychosis. Despite sex differences observed in numerous aspects of psychosis, few studies have attempted to characterise sex differences in LI. This systematic review outlines the current evidence of sex differences in LI in both human and rodent studies, showing predominantly inconclusive and conflicting evidence for sex differences. We present data demonstrating sex differences in latent inhibition of contextual fear conditioning and associated gene expression in the hippocampus in rodents, supporting sex differences in latent inhibition at the behavioural and neurobiological levels. The systematic review suggests that although there have been relatively few studies of sex differences in LI, the data suggest that in hippocampally dependent forms of LI, sex differences may be more apparent, which may be of relevance in relation to sex differences in the presentation of psychosis.

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