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The Female Brain Conceptual Advances in Brain Research a Series of Books Focusing on Brain Dynamics and Information Processing Systems of the Brain

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The Female Brain Conceptual Advances in Brain Research a Series of Books Focusing on Brain Dynamics and Information Processing Systems of the Brain The Female Brain Conceptual Advances in Brain Research A series of books focusing on brain dynamics and information processing systems of the brain. Edited by Robert Miller, Otago Centre for Theoretical Studies in Psychiatry and Neuro- science, New Zealand (Editor-in-chief), Günther Palm, University of Ulm, Germany and Gordon Shaw, University of California at Irvine, USA. Volume 1 Brain Dynamics and the Striatal Complex edited by R. Miller and J.R. Wickens Volume 2 Complex Brain Functions: Conceptual Advances in Russian Neuroscience edited by R. Miller, A.M. Ivanitsky and P.M. Balaban Volume 3 Time and the Brain edited by R. Miller Volume 4 Sex Differences in Lateralization in the Animal Brain by V.L. Bianki and E.B. Filippova Volume 5 Cortical Areas: Unity and Diversity edited by A. Schüz and R. Miller Volume 6 The Female Brain by C. Darlington This book is part of a series. The publisher will accept continuation orders which may be cancelled at any time and which provide for automatic billing and shipping of each title in the series upon publication. Please write for details. The Female Brain Cynthia Darlington University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand London and New York First published 2002 by Taylor & Francis 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Taylor & Francis Inc, 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Taylor & Francis is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. © 2002 Taylor & Francis All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure that the advice and information in this book are true and accurate at the time of going to press. However, neither the publisher nor the authors can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. In the case of drug administration, any medical procedure or the use of technical equipment mentioned within this book, you are strongly advised to consult the manufacturer’s guidelines. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record has been requested ISBN 0-203-30142-0 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-34567-3 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-27721-3 (hbk) ISBN 0-415-27722-1 (pbk) This book is for my two Christys, female brains extraordinaire. Contents Series preface ix Preface xi 1 Introduction 1 2 An historical perspective 25 3 Brain structure: The architecture of difference 35 4 Functional differences: Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators 55 5 Perception and cognition 83 6 Laterality 107 7 Neurology, psychiatry and the female brain 129 8 Drugs, sex and . 163 9 Where do we go from here? 197 Index 203 vii Series preface The workings of the brain, including the human brain are a source of endless fascina- tion. In the last generation, experimental approaches to brain research have expanded massively, partly as a result of the development of powerful new techniques. However, the development of concepts which integrate and make sense of the wealth of available empirical data has lagged far behind the experimental investigation of the brain. This series of books entitled Conceptual Advances in Brain Research (CABR) is intended to provide a forum in which new and interesting conceptual advances can be presented to a wide readership in a coherent and lucid way. The series will encompass all aspects of the sciences of brain and behaviour, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology, together with psy- chological approaches to defining the function of the intact brain. In particular, the series will emphasise modern attempts to forge links between the biological and the psychological levels of describing brain function. It will explore new cybernetic inter- pretations of the structure of nervous tissue; and it will consider the dynamics of brain activity, integrated across wide areas of the brain and involving vast numbers of nerve cells. These are all subjects which are expanding rapidly at present. Subjects relating to the human nervous system as well as clinical topics related to neurological or psy- chiatric illnesses will also make important contributions to the series. These volumes will be aimed at a wide readership within the neurosciences. However, brain research impinges on many other areas of knowledge. Therefore, some volumes may appeal to a readership, extending beyond the neurosciences. Books suitable for the series are monographs, edited multiauthor collections or books deriving from conferences, provided they have a clear underlying conceptual theme. In order to make these books widely accessible within the neurosciences and beyond, the style will emphasise broad scholarship comprehensible by readers in many fields, rather than descriptions in which technical detail of a particular speciality is dominant. The next decades promise to provide major new revelations about brain function, with far-reaching impact on the way we view ourselves. These great breakthroughs will require a broad interchange of ideas across many fields. We hope that the CABR series plays a significant part in the exploration of this important frontier of knowledge. ix Preface In the autumn of 1990, during a seminar on cerebellar-brainstem networks and the control of eye movements, we got onto the topic of physiological factors which can affect neuronal responses. One student asked if the sex of the experimental animal could make a difference. “I don’t know,” I replied. “I’ll find out for next week.” After the seminar I headed to the library, but couldn’t find any answers. I com- pletely forgot about the incident until a couple of years later, when another student asked the same question, but about a completely different part of the brain. Again, there was no information to be found. “This,” I thought, “is very strange, indeed.” The second time, I didn’t forget about it. I filed the strange lack of information on sex differences in brain function in my mental “bottom drawer”, that place where strange bits of information and odd, half formed ideas live. Over the next few years, more questions that were never answered (or never asked) went into the drawer. When it was full to overflowing, my curiosity got the best of me. I really wanted some answers, and in the process of trying to find them, I decided to write this book. Along the way, a number of people have offered enthusiastic support and very practical assistance. Professor Sarah Romans, of the Department of Psychological Medicine here in Dunedin, offered me her files of papers on female brain-related sub- jects, which formed an invaluable base for many of the literature searches. The members of the Women’s Health Research Group have been a constant source of encouragement and moral support. My office “neighbour”, Dr. Janice Murray, has kept my energy levels up with her amazing raspberry jam. Janice has also consistently demonstrated an uncanny skill at knowing when it is OK to ask, “How’s the book going?” and when it is better to peer out the window and say, “Looks like it’s starting to rain again”. And then there’s Jaimee. Jaimee King has been my research assistant for the dura- tion of the writing project. She has been involved in just about every aspect of the book preparation: collecting references, convincing librarians to drag archived mater- ials out of warehouses, checking manuscript drafts against the literature for accuracy. Her humorous comments, written in the margins and accompanied by smiley faces, have made the whole process so much more fun. Finally, Associate Professor Robert Miller, Professor Paul Smith and Max . Robert is the editor of this book series. His support, advice, encouragement and humour have been so generously given and so gratefully received. Paul is my husband; fortunately, he’s also a great chef. He has done virtually all of the cooking during the final stages xi xii Preface of manuscript preparation. He has also listened endlessly, read drafts continuously, and patiently corrected my very peculiar US-Australia-New Zealand form of English usage. Max is our cat. He has rearranged manuscript pages, chewed the corners of figures, and sailed pencils off the desk. At midnight, when the words just wouldn’t work, Paul’s cocoa and Max’s purrs have been life-savers. To all of you, thank you. CD Dunedin, NZ 2002 1 Introduction The Major: Strange creatures women . Basil: They do get awfully confused, don’t they? They’re not thinkers. I see it with Sybil every day . no capacity for logical thought. The Major: Who? Basil: Women. The Major: Oh yes, yes . I thought you meant Indians. Basil: No, no, no, no . wasn’t it Oscar Wilde who said. “They have minds like Swiss cheese?” The Major: What do you mean – hard? Basil: No, no – full of holes. The Major: Really? . Indians? Basil: No, women! The Major: Oh. Cleese, J. and Booth, C. (1988) The Germans. The Complete Fawlty Towers, Methuen, London, pp. 138–189. For centuries the beauty of the female form has been celebrated by painters, sculptors, song writers and poets. The artist has his muse, a real or imaginary woman, who pro- vides inspiration to the creative genius within. But why this celebration of the female form, why a female muse for a male artist? Obviously, because the female body is dif- ferent from the body of the male.
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