title: Gender differences in brain activity generated by unpleasant word stimuli concerning body image: an fMRI study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have previously reported that the temporomesial area, including the amygdala, is activated in women when processing unpleasant words concerning body image.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To detect gender differences in brain activation during processing of these words.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate 13 men and 13 women during an emotional decision task consisting of unpleasant words concerning body image and neutral words.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The left medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were activated only among men, and the left amygdala was activated only among women during the task; activation in the apical prefrontal region was significantly greater in men than in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that the prefrontal region is responsible for the gender differences in the processing of words concerning body image, and may also be responsible for gender differences in susceptibility to eating disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shirao
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mantani
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamawaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D001828:Body Image; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology