Sex-specific effects of exercise on motor coordination and extended basal ganglia physiology
electrophysiology, and morphological reconstructions, we found that exercise enhances motor coordination, increases SNc excitability, and strengthens excitatory input onto the PPN selectively in female mice. By contrast, exercise increases spontaneous firing rate and reduces dendritic complexity selectively in male CINs. These data reveal sex-specific exercise effects correlated across behavioral and cellular levels. Highlights: One week of exercise enhances motor coordination in females but not malesExercise increases SNc excitability and excitatory input onto the PPN in femalesExercise increases dorsomedial striatal cholinergic neurons activity in malesBaseline sex differences in morphology of striatal cholinergic and SNc neurons.
Authors
- Rebekah C. Evans (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9476-150X)
- Chelsea B Scott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5585-4981)
- Valerie J. Lewitus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6456-6156)
- Shirley Q Zhang
- Lindsey A. Russ
- Zachary A. Colon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0583-7374)
- Giorgi Shautidze
- Asia B Fernandez
- Valeria G Aleman
- Megan R Croom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6533-7953)
- Olivia M Kruszewski
- Joel A Walker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1969-0775)
Institutions
- Georgetown University (US)
- Georgetown University Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- Published
- 2026-04-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.24.720719
- Primary Topic
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Brain Research Foundation
- National Institute on Aging
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke