There are clear sex based neurophysiological differences in brain structure and function. These impact both healthy individuals and those with neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is clear that these diseases affect women differently than men. A fair amount of these sex differences remains unknown and underrecognized. In addition hormonal changes and fluctuations during a woman’s lifespan are significantly more numerous and more complex than in men. These hormonal changes can impact the pathogenesis and the clinical presentation of neurological illness as well as a woman’s response to treatment. There are clear sex and gender differences in prevalence of various neurological illnesses, in the incidence of psychiatric comorbidities and in the therapeutic responses to various pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions

For instance, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative illnesses have different prevalences and distinct presentations in women than men. Depression, both on its own and as a comorbid condition with neurological illnesses, has a gender specific presentation, impact, and therapeutic response. Antiepileptic drugs and other neurological medications interact with hormonal contraception causing unplanned pregnancies. Hormonal contraception can impact risk of stroke; migraine headaches fluctuate throughout the menstrual period. Sleep disorders increase in pregnancy and menopause and can affect the health of mother and fetus in the former and significantly reduce quality of life in the latter. There are also complex issues of managing specific disorders such as migraines, epilepsy, restless legs syndrome, and multiple sclerosis (MS) in pregnancy. The last has a much higher prevalence in young women, as it is a chronic and often disabling illness. There are a lot of unanswered questions about pregnancy in a MS sufferer and the impact of this unique life phase on the illness and vice versa. Last but not least stroke, the third cause of death worldwide, has very unique sex and gender based symptomatology and semiology.

Despite these distinctions, there is a dearth of research in specific aspects of neurology as it relates to women’s health. Often in clinical trials the data is not specifically separated by women.

We invite authors to submit original research, case series, case reports, or review papers that address this disparity of research in women and look into neurologic and behavioral sex based changes in healthy individuals, the specific pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric illnesses in women, epidemiological and health based social disparities, and the differential effect of therapeutic interventions in women.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Metabolism of specific neurotherapeutic agents in women versus men
• The symptomatology of specific neuropsychiatric illnesses in women versus men
• The impact of neuropsychiatric illnesses specifically on the quality of life of women
• Normal sex differences in neurobehavioral brain function