title: Masculinity/femininity predicts brain volumes in normal healthy children.
abstract: Previous research has shown sex differences in brain morphology ( De Bellis et al., 2001 ). However, these studies have not taken gender into account. Gender is a phenotype that describes behavior. In this study, we examined the relationship between gender, sex, and brain volumes in children. One hundred and eight children ages 7 to 17 were administered the Children's Sex Role Inventory ( Boldizar, 1991 ) and obtained volumetric brain data via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We found that, in the frontal lobe, higher masculinity predicted greater volumes of white matter. Also, in the temporal lobe, higher femininity predicted greater volumes of gray matter.
authors.affiliation: a Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience , University of Iowa , Iowa City , Iowa.
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Belfi
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Peg
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D057227:Femininity; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D057228:Masculinity; D009929:Organ Size; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology