Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences
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Miami University Honors Theses / OhioLINK
2010
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1270943296 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-muhonors12709432962021-08-03T05:42:16Z Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences Henry, Jensen K. Psychobiology sexual dimorphism brain sex gender The biological basis of neural sexual dimorphisms is a popular area of neuroscience research. Even the notion of gender itself is complex, involving genetic, chromosomal, cellular, and hormonal properties. Because of the growing advancements in PET and MRI technology, researchers are now able to use neuroimaging to discern sexually dimorphic structures and patterns of brain activity. This thesis provides a summative review of just some of the research concerning sex differences in various functional areas of the brain: gray and white matter composition, verbal and mathematical intelligence, conditioning and long-term potentiation, neurobiology of stress, navigation and spatial processing, motor activity and disorders, drug addiction, depression and the serotonin system, emotion and the limbic system, and pain. Although men and women have clearly different cranial sizes and gray/white matter ratios, these are not shown to confirm the historical bias that men are smarter than women. The sexes did, however, show activation of different brain areas in intellectual tasks. Mechanisms for conditioning/long-term potentiation and stress were shown to be sexually dimorphic, and in many cases, estrogen enhanced these differences. There were also noted differences in navigation and spatial processing, with males and females each having a preferred advantageous strategy. Sex differences were significant in the clinical areas studied; females showed greater predisposition than males to drug addiction and depression but less so to motors disorders in the basal ganglia. Men and women also showed differences in emotional processing capability and the subsequent activation of the limbic system. Various dimorphisms were seen in the response and biology of pain, but because pain is such a diffuse psychological and physiological process, it is difficult to make a specific simplification of the results. Although the proximate causes of these dimorphisms can often be linked to the organizing effects of gonadal hormones on neuroanatomical development or hormonal activating effects, the distal causes are more elusive. In some cases, evolutionary or other adaptive explanations were given. Future research will undoubtedly illuminate such mechanisms; such information will not only satisfy scientific curiosities but will also potentially improve the effectiveness of medical care. 2010-04-24 English text Miami University Honors Theses / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1270943296 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1270943296 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
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NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
Psychobiology sexual dimorphism brain sex gender |
| spellingShingle |
Psychobiology sexual dimorphism brain sex gender Henry, Jensen K. Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences |
| author |
Henry, Jensen K. |
| author_facet |
Henry, Jensen K. |
| author_sort |
Henry, Jensen K. |
| title |
Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences |
| title_short |
Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences |
| title_full |
Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences |
| title_fullStr |
Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Sexual Dimorphisms in the Brain: Neural Substrates for Cognitive and Clinical Differences |
| title_sort |
sexual dimorphisms in the brain: neural substrates for cognitive and clinical differences |
| publisher |
Miami University Honors Theses / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2010 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1270943296 |
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AT henryjensenk sexualdimorphismsinthebrainneuralsubstratesforcognitiveandclinicaldifferences |
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