Scientists have shown that male and female brains operate differently, with distinct activity patterns in key areas like the default mode network and limbic system.
This could influence cognitive functioning and behavior.
“This is a very strong piece of evidence that sex is a robust determinant of human brain organisation,” Stanford professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences Dr. Vinod Menon said.
While further research is needed, differences in brain activity could impact how individuals view themselves and interact with others.
Using explainable AI, researchers identified subtle neural differences between men and women that humans had missed.
“Our findings suggest that differences in brain activity patterns across these key brain regions contribute to sex-specific variations in cognitive functioning,” Dr. Menon said.
Understanding these brain variances may be crucial for addressing neurological and psychiatric conditions affecting each gender differently.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sheds light on sex-specific vulnerabilities in brain development and disorders.
“The really intriguing issue is that those areas of the brain which are most reliably distinguishing the sexes are key parts of the social brain,” Aston Brain Centre emeritus professor of cognitive neuroimaging Dr. Gina Rippon said.
“The key issue is whether these differences are a product of sex-specific, biological influences, or of brain-changing gendered experiences. Or both. Are we really looking at sex differences? Or gender differences?” she asked.
“Or, acknowledging that almost all brain–shaping factors are dynamically entangled products of both sex and gender influences, are we looking at what should be called sex/gender differences?”
“A key motivation for this study is that sex plays a crucial role in human brain development, in ageing, and in the manifestation of psychiatric and neurological disorders,” Dr. Menon said.
“Identifying consistent and replicable sex differences in the healthy adult brain is a critical step toward a deeper understanding of sex-specific vulnerabilities in psychiatric and neurological disorders.”
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