Multiple Comparisons and Inappropriate Statistical Testing Lead to Spurious Sex Differences in Gene Expression

The substantial differences in the incidence and symptoms of stress, depression, and addiction between males and females have motivated studies of sex differences in the brain ’s molecular responses to environmental stimuli. In a study of three mouse brain regions from the Nestler laboratory, Walker et al. (1) reported sex-specific transcriptional responses to cocaine and baseline sex differences. They further examined the impact of social isolation on these brain gene expression patterns. However, the transcriptome data (RNA sequencing) and analysis in this study do not support the authors’ conclusions.
Source: Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research