ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health → Mind & Brain

Men and women’s brains are hard wired differently, study shows

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
December 3, 2013 - Updated on January 6, 2014
in Mind & Brain, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit
Neural map of a typical man’s brain. Credits: National Academy of Sciences/PA

A new study which involved the analysis of over 1.000 brain scans confirmed what many intuitively believed for a long time: men and women’s brains are hard wired differently.

Maps of neural circuitry showed that on average women’s brains were highly connected across the left and right hemispheres, while men had better connections between the front and back areas of the brain. Surprisingly or not, these findings support the stereotypical ideas that men generally have improved perception and coordination, while women have better social skills.

Neural map of a typical woman’s brain. Photograph: National Academy of Sciences/PA

Ragini Verma, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, explains:

“If you look at functional studies, the left of the brain is more for logical thinking, the right of the brain is for more intuitive thinking. So if there’s a task that involves doing both of those things, it would seem that women are hardwired to do those better,” Verma said. “Women are better at intuitive thinking. Women are better at remembering things. When you talk, women are more emotionally involved – they will listen more.”

She then adds:

“I was surprised that it matched a lot of the stereotypes that we think we have in our heads. If I wanted to go to a chef or a hairstylist, they are mainly men.”

This is the biggest study to date that documents the differences between the brains of men and women. In addition from showing the gender differences, this also gave researchers a better picture of what happens in the brain for each sex at various ages. They hope that this can provide a better understanding of what happens at a neural level to patients suffering from brain disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.

Verma’s team used a technique called diffusion tensor imaging. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a well-established magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method for diagnosing problems such as cerebral ischemia. It allows the mapping of the diffusion process of molecules, mainly water, in biological tissues, in vivo and non-invasively.

They looked at the brain scans of 428 males and 521 females aged eight to 22. The neural connections are basically a road system through which the brain carries out its traffic. The scans clearly showed significant differences, the most noticeable being greater connectivity between the left and right sides of the brain in women, while the connections in men were mostly confined to individual hemispheres. The only area of the brain where males had better inter-hemisphere connectivity is the cerebellum, which plays a vital role in motor control.

RelatedPosts

Dogs’ Brains Respond to People’s Voices the Same Way We Do, MRI study shows
Researchers call for ban on a widely-used pesticide: it impairs brain development
Scientists find brain’s generosity center
Artificial skin can feel pressure, then tell your brain about it

“If you want to learn how to ski, it’s the cerebellum that has to be strong,” Verma said.

The differences didn’t become noticeable by the age of 13, but clearly showed up on ages 14-17.

“It’s quite striking how complementary the brains of women and men really are,” Ruben Gur, a co-author on the study, said in a statement. “Detailed connectome maps of the brain will not only help us better understand the differences between how men and women think, but it will also give us more insight into the roots of neurological disorders, which are often sex-related.”

Journal Reference:

Madhura Ingalhalikar et al. Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain.  PNAS December 2, 2013, doi:10.1073/pnas.1316909110 

Tags: braindiffusion-weighted imagingneural connectionneural pathwayneuron

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Mind and Brain

Do You Think in Words or Pictures? Your Inner Voice Is Actually Stranger Than You Thought

byJoshika Komarla
4 days ago
News

Scientists Gave People a Fatty Milkshake. It Turned Out To Be a “Brain Bomb”

byChris Marley
2 weeks ago
Health

Older Adults Keep Their Brains up to Two Years ‘Younger’ Thanks to This Cognitive Health Program

byTudor Tarita
3 weeks ago
Mind & Brain

Your Brain Gives Off a Faint Light and It Might Say Something About It Works

byTibi Puiu
4 weeks ago

Recent news

Photo of Ceres captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

Frozen Wonder: Ceres May Have Cooked Up the Right Recipe for Life Billions of Years Ago

August 22, 2025

Are Cyborg Jellyfish the Next Step of Deep Ocean Exploration?

August 22, 2025

Can AI help us reduce hiring bias? It’s possible, but it needs healthy human values around it

August 22, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.