Sex Differences in Cortical Hemodynamic Responses During Interactive and Passive Tasks: An fNIRS Study Using the Nefroball System

The present study aimed to investigate sex differences in the hemodynamic response of the cerebral cortex during interactive and passive tasks using functional near-infrared spectroscopy fNIRS. Ninety-seven healthy adults (63 women, 34 men) participated in the study. Participants performed two tasks: an interactive motor game and a passive hand movement, and activation was measured in five cortical regions. Statistically significant differences in the amplitude of the hemodynamic response of oxygenated haemoglobin ΔHbO levels were observed, particularly in the parietal cortex, where men showed higher activation levels. The differences remained significant in the parietal, prefrontal, left hemisphere, and visual cortex. The differences were more pronounced in the passive task, which may indicate different processing strategies in women and men. Although no significant group differences were found in the latency time of maximum reaction t_max, men tended to have longer times in the visual cortex. Additionally, a moderate positive correlation between ΔHbO and t_max was observed among men, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. These results highlight the importance of considering biological sex in neuroimaging studies and suggest directions for further analysis.