Gender differences in brain connectivity (if any) aren't hard-wired

[ismnotwasm]

( there was a Interesting GD thread on this; unfortunately a few used the conclusion in attempts to further the discredited Evo-psych psuedo-science.)

A headline story this morning, featured in several news outlets, reported on a new study published online in PNAS yesterday that allegedly confirms that there are major brain differences between men and women. In the study Ragini Verma, an associate professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues examined the neural connectivity across the whole brain in 949 individuals (521 females and 428 males) aged 8 to 22 years using diffuse tensor imaging (DTI).

The researchers found that in certain age groups, females had greater inter-hemispheric connectivity in the supratentorial region (the part of the brain above the cerebellum), whereas males exhibited greater intra-hemispheric connectivity as well as greater interhemispheric connectivity in the cerebellum. The cerebellum has been implicated in certain forms of knowledge of action and knowledge-how, interhemispheric connectivity seems crucial for many social skills, and intrahemispheric connectivity in local sensory regions may lead to richer perceptual experiences. So, on the basis of these findings, many news reports concluded that men have a greater perception to action potential, whereas women have a greater potential for communicating and connecting “the analytical and intuition.” Some concluded that gender differences in brain connectivity are hard-wired.

These reports, however, are for the most part based on a misreading of the article. It’s important to emphasize, as the authors do, that the study revealed very few gender differences in connectivity in children younger than 13 years of age. The differences in connectivity were mainly attributable to individuals between 14 and 22.
Furthermore, the authors report that the behavioral study they conducted confirmed pronounced sex differences in the sample but primarily in individuals between 12 and 14 years of age. Female participants in this age group scored higher on attention, word and face memory tests as well as social cognition tests, whereas male participants performed better on spatial processing and motor and sensorimotor speed. So, the observed differences in behavior were restricted to the early teen years.

http://www.newappsblog.com/2013/12/gender-differences-in-brain-connectivity-if-any-arent-hard-wired.html

[NYC_SKP]

1. VERY interesting, this is the third post this week that challenges convention.

The first study indicated a potential causative correlation between a human offspring's later food taste preferences and their breast-feeding and prenatal mother's eating preferences.

The second study, completely unrelated, challenged the conventional tests that conclude that rates prefer water laced with morphine to plain water and, instead, were just being crazy for lack of space.

Sorry if my descriptions of the effects and significance are lacking, but I saw some patterns that are reinforced by this OP.

Nature versus nurture, and especially very early childhood nurture, and all that.

Thanks!!!

[ismnotwasm]

2. It's ok--- and you're welcome

My basic stance is of course we are going to find differences in the brain-- simply considering the plasticity of brain. What these differences mean by gender are unknown but people try-- generally using heteronormative standards, which is an automatic disqualification into my way of thinking. It took more than making babies for something like human beings to develop.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I'm most interested from the early childhood development POV.

Not the correct link for the OP in the past few days but same topic: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/08/139033757/babys-palate-and-food-memories-shaped-before-birth

I wonder what other preferences are formed in the womb or first years.

Your reply suggests a deeper and more provocative avenue of inquiry: what are the plastic characteristics of developing humans and the importance thereof?, has the plasticity been preserved or selectively removed (I doubt it), and what are the implications that impact conventional wisdom among social scientists?

I'm of the "constructivist plastic developmental" school of thought, not that such a school exists.

[ismnotwasm]

4. "constructivist plastic developmental" school of thought

You should invent it!

Human beings are paradoxically diverse and much the same the world over; when situations arise we have biological reactions--using the best known, fight or flight. The body does number of things to shunt energy for either response, the brain is certainly involved, but thinking isn't, not at first. The plasticity comes with need for a variety of responses for a variety of situations. And that's about as far I can go without looking up articles

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Yes and No

I find that Transgender Children indicate that some level of difference exists. The exact mechanisms that allow an Androgen Insensitive male to develop a female identity may or may not be similar to how some others develop cross gender identities. But there appears to be evidence that the brain is both plastic and fixed. For example Hormones can change sexual orientation in some individuals but not in others.

[NuclearDem]

6. I'll admit I don't know enough about neuroscience and development to be sure.

Still, interesting view.