In a recent PNAS paper (1), Joel et al. examine several large datasets of MRI images and surveys of human brains. The authors conclude that brains of women and men are not dimorphic and not categorically different, as are the genital systems of the two genders, but resemble more an overlapping mosaic of specific functional regions and therefore cannot be distinguished as male and female brains. This conclusion cannot be drawn based on the methodology used. MRIs are “still images.” Looking at these is more akin to examining a road map and drawing conclusions about traffic patterns. Other imaging …

Background: Clinical studies on medical cannabis (MC) treatment have shown sex-related differences, including higher susceptibility to adverse events among women and greater analgesia among men. Here, we used the Syqe metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and a single chemovar to analyze sex differences. Methods: A total of 1249 Israeli chronic pain patients were assessed for pain intensity, sleep and adverse events (AEs) over 240 days. Results: Following the first two weeks, no significant sex differences were found in the effectiveness or safety of MC treatment (p > 0.05). Inhaled Δ⁹-THC doses did not vary significantly between sexes (p > 0.05) except in the first month of treatment. Pain reduction and sleep improvement were similar for both sexes (p > 0.05). The overall rate of AEs was equal and relatively low at 10% (n = 65, 10% of women and n = 60, 10% of men; χ² (1) = 0.05, p = 0.820). A secondary analysis of pharmacokinetic data showed no significant differences between sexes in Δ⁹-THC and its metabolite pharmacokinetics, cardiovascular measures, or AE severity (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Uniform MC treatment via the Syqe MDI showed no sex differences in short-term effectiveness, safety and pharmacokinetics, nor in long-term effects, under “real-life” conditions. These findings provide insights into MC treatment which may inform clinical practice and policy-making in the field.

Previous studies have shown that, in a variety of health care settings, patients often do not understand what health care professionals tell them about their diagnoses and care plans; this is particularly true among male patients. Emergency department (ED) settings present unique challenges to communication with patients due to the rapid pace of activity, substantial changes in personnel over the course of the day and the week, and the need for fast decision-making processes. The aim of our study was to investigate the extent to which patients in an Israeli ED comprehended their plan of care and whether there were gender differences in this regard. We conducted a questionnaire-based prospective study, in which patients admitted to the ED at Rabin Medical Center were evaluated during the years 2014–2016. The primary outcome was patients’ comprehension of their plan of care, stratified by gender of patients. Plan of care included information related to diagnosis, treatment and discharge instructions. The secondary outcome was patients’ satisfaction with the instruction process. One hundred seventy seven ED patients met study criteria and were asked to participate in the study; 85% of them agreed to do so. Overall, 150 ED patients aged 18–80 were recruited [75 men (50%) and 75 women (50%)]. 80% of the respondents reported a satisfactory understanding of their plan of care. Overall, no gender-related differences were found. Differences between men and women concerning satisfaction with the instructions provided by nurses were found among non-Hebrew speakers, but not among Hebrew speakers. Contrary to most earlier studies, patients at our ED demonstrated a high degree of self-reported adequate comprehension concerning their plan of care, and overall no gender-related differences were found. These finding may be due in part to improved training of the medical staff to better communicate with the patients and to answer their questions. In addition, patients may feel more comfortable than in the past about asking the medical staff questions regarding their plan of care and diagnosis. The main implication of this study is that physician education programs should continue to emphasize patient-physician communications skills and improving methods for providing patients with information.