Sex differences in brain structure in auditory and cingulate regions.
We applied a new method to visualize the three-dimensional profile of sex differences in brain structure based on MRI scans of 100 young adults. We compared 50 men with 50 women, matched for age and other relevant demographics. As predicted, left hemisphere auditory and language-related regions were proportionally expanded in women versus men, suggesting a possible structural basis for the widely replicated sex differences in language processing. In men, primary visual, and visuo-spatial association areas of the parietal lobes were proportionally expanded, in line with prior reports of relative strengths in visuo-spatial processing in men. We relate these three-dimensional patterns to prior functional and structural studies, and to theoretical predictions based on nonlinear scaling of brain morphometry.
Brun
Caroline C
CC
Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, 635 Charles Young Drive South Suite 225, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA. cbrun@loni.ucla.edu
Leporé
Natasha
N
Luders
Eileen
E
Chou
Yi-Yu
YY
Madsen
Sarah K
SK
Toga
Arthur W
AW
Thompson
Paul M
PM
D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018401:Sample Size; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult