Contents
Who is easier to adapt to change? Does testosterone affect aggressive and sexual behavior? Why do boys have larger brains at birth? Let’s talk about scientific facts.
Neurobiology is a fairly young science that involves specialists from various fields in the study of the principles of the brain. Its purpose is to find answers to the questions of the functioning of the brain of men and women. It allows us to study the anatomical and functional differences between men and women, as well as the influence of environmental factors on brain development. Let’s see why we believe that «men are from Mars, and women are from Venus.»
Neurobiological research is divided into two areas — the study of the elements of the nervous system (cells, membranes, molecules) and the analysis of behavior and its mechanisms.
Neuroscience also combines two approaches: a bottom-up approach that aims to investigate the network organization and processes of the brain; and a top-down approach that studies the manifestations of brain function in order to understand the organization, behavior and psycho-emotional response of a person.
Finally, the study of the brain must take into account the fact that it develops and remodels over time. This plasticity calls into question our knowledge of the processes associated with the «acquired» during the primary development of its functions.
The main differences between the male and female brain
1. Physiological features
At birth, a man’s brain is about 10% larger than a woman’s. MRI studies have shown differences in the internal structure of the brain depending on gender: girls, on average, have slightly more gray matter (cells of neurons responsible for muscle activity and sensory perception), while boys have slightly more white matter (nerve fibers of neuron cells that provide communication between areas of the brain).
Until now, no study has explained these sex differences with specific abilities and behaviors: the ability to do several things at the same time, spatial orientation, language skills, and so on. In fact, these differences are minor.
According to the current position of neuroscience, at birth, the average brain size and motor activity are slightly larger in boys; and starting from six months, verbal expression is more pronounced in girls. These differences should be seen in light of familial and social influences that contribute to the formation of neural networks in the developing young brain.
2. Hormonal features
They are often used to explain differences between boys and girls. Two neurohormones involved in shaping gender behavior have been particularly studied.
Oxytocin responsible for attachment in social communication, cooperation, stress management or self-confidence. It is associated with «feminine» behavior — tender, sensual and maternal. It should be noted that at present there is no solid scientific basis to support this assumption — there is not enough knowledge about the exact mechanisms of action of oxytocin on the nervous system.
Testosterone usually involved in «male» psychosocial characteristics: rivalry, masculinity, impulsiveness, and so on. While testosterone does affect muscle size and strength, its effects on the nervous system and behavior are also not well understood.
To date, no relationship has been established between sexual desire and testosterone in the general population of healthy adult men.
Although castration or pathologies similar in effect cause loss of erection, sexual desire does not disappear. Sexual activity arises to a greater extent due to mental activity, which varies depending on lifestyle and events.
A study of the relationship between blood testosterone and aggressiveness/violence or risky behavior provides similar data: blood testosterone is not associated with aggressive or risky behavior in adolescents, as well as in men who engage in antisocial acts. For the latter, social factors (level of education, socioeconomic background) are explanatory factors.
3. Mechanisms of adaptation to stress
When the stress response occurs, research highlights the pressure system and the memory system of the conditions under which it is triggered. They are directly intertwined with the emotional circuit that includes the amygdala and the limbic system.
Several studies show gender differences in stress activation, contextual memory, and emotional response systems. In women, the emotional system, some sensory areas and the cingulate cortex are triggered, and in men, changes in the activation of the prefrontal cortex with an increase in activation in the right half and a decrease in activation in the left.
Ethological interpretations are offered in terms of the fight-or-flight response in males and the approach-avoidance response in females. In addition, the activation of the female brain, observed in response to stress, will contribute to the emergence of rumination — one of the risk factors for depression. It is regularly noted that this psychopathology is more common in women and is attributed to risk factors associated with a close social network (romantic and marital relationships, parenting and parenting).
However, recent epidemiological data show that men are more prone to depression — in the event of difficulties at work, divorce and separation, or when stressors accumulate over a long period of time.
4. Behavioral and neurofunctional differences
Women show better results in sensory, visual (facial) memory and social cognition, while men show better results in spatial perception, three-dimensional thinking and speed of sensorimotor execution. Differences in the brain underlie behavioral observations. Strong connections are observed in men within one hemisphere of the brain, while in women they are between the two hemispheres.
In men, this association may explain the high speed of information processing and performance of tasks that connect perception with action, and in women, the ease of integrating reasoning and intuition, which leads to improved emotional intelligence and language proficiency.
Why know this?
From a practical point of view, the question arises of the impact of these gender differences on coping skills. A stressful environment imposes emotional restrictions that can affect men and women differently. Regardless of psychological or physical stress, it is important for neuroscience to study these gender-specific limitations in detail in order to better understand the risk of developing depression and develop strategies to counteract it.
The gender of a person affects his brain, but how exactly depends on many factors. Obviously, the existing knowledge does not allow for an effective inventory of the differences between men and women. Much more research remains to be done on the interplay between brain development, stress response processes, and environmental vulnerability in both men and women. This work is necessary to understand and implement effective adaptation to any situation.
What to read about the brain? 5 great books
1. . A detailed explanation of how the brain works at all levels, with a focus on how it affects our behavior.
2. . An attempt to predict where evolution will lead the human brain next.
3. . How hunger and curiosity, fear and aggression, freedom and joy are formed.
4. . How emotions differ from logic, how they are formed and how to pump them.
5. . The first large-scale description of the differences between the male and female brains at the neurophysiological level.
Text: Nikolai Shelofastov