The Female Brain Second Edition Cynthia Darlington Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4200-7744-5 (Hardcover) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher can- not assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. 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CCC is a not-for-profit organization that pro- vides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Darlington, Cynthia L. The female brain / Cynthia Darlington. -- 2nd ed. p. ; cm. -- (Conceptual advances in brain research) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4200-7744-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Brain. 2. Women--Physiology. 3. Sex differences. 4. Neuroendocrinology. I. Title. II. Series: Conceptual advances in brain research (unnumbered) [DNLM: 1. Brain--physiology. 2. Hormones--pharmacokinetics. 3. Psychophysiology. 4. Sex Characteristics. 5. Sex Factors. 6. Women--psychology. WL 300 D221f 2009] QP376.D37 2009 612.8’2--dc22 2009009973 Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com © 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC For Tim. Everyone needs a hero. You are mine. Contents Preface .................................................................................................................xi The Author ...................................................................................................... xiii 1Chapter 1Chapter Introduction ................................................................................. 1 The male and his muse ...................................................................................... 1 The background ....................................................................................... 3 Hormones ................................................................................................. 3 The central nervous system .................................................................... 8 Interactions between hormones and neurotransmitters .................. 21 Neuroscience methods .......................................................................... 21 The rules ............................................................................................................ 22 Bibliography and recommended readings ................................................... 24 2Chapter 2Chapter A historical perspective ........................................................... 27 The rise of modern science ............................................................................. 31 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 36 Bibliography and recommended readings ................................................... 36 3Chapter 3Chapter Brain structure: The architecture of difference .................. 39 Development of the brain ............................................................................... 40 Sexual dimorphism in the CNS ...................................................................... 42 Regional differences ......................................................................................... 46 Evidence from other species ........................................................................... 51 Structural changes in the adult brain ............................................................ 54 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 54 Bibliography and recommended readings ................................................... 56 4Chapter 4Chapter Functional differences: Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators ....................................................................... 59 Estrogen, progesterone, androgens, and their receptors in the CNS .......... 60 Methods for identifying receptors in the CNS ............................................. 61 Estrogen receptors ............................................................................................ 62 viii Contents Progesterone receptors .................................................................................... 64 “The knockout model” .................................................................................... 65 GABA ................................................................................................................. 66 Serotonin............................................................................................................ 68 Dopamine .......................................................................................................... 70 Cannabinoids .................................................................................................... 75 Measures of global function ........................................................................... 76 Evidence from EEG studies ............................................................................ 81 Evidence from evoked potential studies ...................................................... 83 Evidence from scan studies ............................................................................ 84 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 86 Bibliography and recommended readings ................................................... 86 5Chapter 5Chapter Perception and cognition ......................................................... 91 IQ: When is a difference not a difference? .................................................... 93 Visual perception.............................................................................................. 96 Color: Perception and preference ................................................................ 106 Auditory perception ...................................................................................... 107 The senses of smell and taste ........................................................................ 108 A word about touch ....................................................................................... 112 Numbers and sums ........................................................................................ 112 Memory ............................................................................................................113 Conclusions ......................................................................................................119 Bibliography and recommended readings ................................................. 120 6Chapter 6Chapter Laterality ...................................................................................125 Parallel processing and hemispheric advantage ....................................... 126 Understanding language .............................................................................. 128 Emotion and laterality ................................................................................... 135 Laterality, the menstrual cycle, and hemispheric advantage................... 137 Two theoretical perspectives on laterality .................................................. 139 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 144 Bibliography and recommended readings ................................................. 146 7Chapter 7Chapter Neurology, psychiatry, and the female brain .................... 149 Neurology ....................................................................................................... 149 Chronic headaches ............................................................................... 150 Stroke... .................................................................................................