The search for answers to the mystery of the differences between male and female brains

Throughout history, humans have tried to find differences between the male and female brains. However, whether through brain scans, autopsies, artificial intelligence applications, or animal experiments, there has been no clear conclusion about how these differences affect human thinking and behavior.

Is there a difference between male and female brains?

When looking at two human brains, no one can immediately tell which is male and which is female. “There is not a single marker in the brain that does not overlap between men and women,” said Dr. Armin Raznahan, chief of the Division of Developmental Neurogenetics at the National Institute of Mental Health.

However, research on sex differences in the brain is still important. Brain diseases and mental disorders manifest differently in men and women.

Understanding the extent to which biological and environmental factors influence treatment may help improve treatment.

Small but noticeable differences

Studies using artificial intelligence (AI) have uncovered subtle differences in cell structure and neural circuits that may influence visual perception, movement, and emotional regulation.

Several other studies have also shown that there are differences in brain structure between males and females from birth.

The true significance of these differences, however, remains unclear. Do they influence cognitive function or susceptibility to disease? Do they dictate which treatments are appropriate for each sex? These questions remain unanswered.

Differences in neurology and psychiatry

Studies show that women have higher rates of depression and migraines than men, while men have higher rates of schizophrenia and autism. Men are also twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease as women. But the disease progresses more quickly in women.

However, many studies do not clearly separate sex (biological factors) and gender (sociocultural factors). This makes it difficult to determine the causes of the differences.

For example, during puberty, girls are more likely to be depressed than boys. This may be because their brains respond differently to stress, or because they experience more social pressure.

Brain size and structural differences

Thanks to brain scans such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists have found subtle differences in the size, shape, and thickness of brain regions. On average, men's brains are 11 percent larger than women's as adults. However, this is largely due to men's larger body size. When adjusted for body size, the differences in brain structure between the sexes become negligible.

Still, some studies have found differences unrelated to body size. For example, men have larger thalamus (a center for processing sensory information) and striatum, while women have larger amygdala and hippocampus (associated with memory and emotion).

Artificial Intelligence Reveals Micro Differences

AI helps detect microscopic differences, such as the structure of white matter (the bundles of nerves that connect different brain regions). A 2024 study found that AI could predict a person's gender based on brain scans with 92% to 98% accuracy.

There is no specific brain region that determines gender, but the AI identified differences in 15 different white matter regions. In particular, the corpus callosum – the bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain – played a key role in this prediction.

Differences from birth

Another study of more than 500 newborns found that at birth, boys' brains were about 6% larger than girls', even when adjusted for body weight. Girls had a higher ratio of gray matter to white matter, a finding also seen in adults.

Brain differences that appear in infancy may be due to biological factors. However, differences that develop later may be influenced by environmental factors, such as hormonal changes during puberty.

The Future of Male and Female Brain Research

To better understand the differences between male and female brains, scientists need to conduct more animal studies to better control for environmental factors.

Additionally, tracking brain development from birth to adulthood will help determine which differences are innate and which are influenced by environment.

In addition, research on the X and Y chromosomes is also being accelerated to understand how they affect brain structure and disease risk. For example, people with an extra Y chromosome have a higher rate of autism, while having an extra X chromosome does not increase this risk.

Many questions remain unanswered at this point, but future research may help us better understand the complexity of the human brain, and how biological and environmental factors intertwine to influence thoughts, emotions, and behaviors./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cuoc-tim-kiem-dap-an-cho-bi-an-ve-su-khac-biet-giua-nao-bo-nam-gioi-va-nu-gioi-post1022124.vnp