20.500.12556/RUL-186705 On the importance of including both sexes in animal studies – insights from home-cage monitoring A review of behavioural studies using home-cage monitoring (HCM) systems revealed that over 61% of studies used only male subjects, with only 24% including both sexes, despite evidence of substantial behavioural differences between male and female animals. This bias could influence the outcomes of biomedical research. This preference for male subjects has introduced a significant bias in preclinical animal studies, compromising the generalisability of research findings and potentially overlooking important sex differences in disease manifestation and response to therapies. This review highlights such sex differences in laboratory rodent behaviour, as observed through HCM systems. HCM provides an automated method for observing the behaviour of undisturbed animals in a familiar environment, offering valuable insights into sex-specific differences in behaviour and disease progression. In particular, we emphasise how this technology revealed sex differences in spontaneous activity and behaviour in models of neurodegenerative diseases, while demonstrating that, contrary to common belief, female rodents are not more variable than males in their behaviour. We further discuss the reasons underlying the prevalent sex bias in research and advocate for the inclusion of both sexes in neuroscience and behavioural studies, to enhance the generalisability and informative value of preclinical research, avoid unethical waste of animals and resources, and thereby support the Three Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement of animal use). sex differences animal studies animal research preclinical research biomedical research behaviour home-cage monitoring monitoring v domači kletki vpliv spola true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-09-04 08:59:01 2026-09-04 08:59:07 2026-09-05 04:34:07 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Str. 2408-2426 issue 5 Vol. 101 Oct. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 57.084 1469-185X 10.1002/brv.70184 278543875 Biological_Reviews_-_2026_-_Cater_-_On_the_importance_of_including_both_sexes_in_animal_studies___insights_from_home‐cage.pdf Biological_Reviews_-_2026_-_Cater_-_On_the_importance_of_including_both_sexes_in_animal_studies___insights_from_home‐cage.pdf 1 C5B5D0EF81D6294FD308D97E2448EE06 1659a32d1f8a79869e8bcc8776f611f3aae07c396df7291c909c1b735ae36e27 2a8a60f2-a82e-11f1-8bc5-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=246042 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brv.70184 1 1f883655-a82e-11f1-8bc5-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=246041 Biotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0