 |
 Previous Article | Next Article 
Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 15, 3418-3428, Copyright © 1995 by Society for Neuroscience
Women have greater density of neurons in posterior temporal cortex
SF Witelson, II Glezer and DL Kigar
Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Cytoarchitectonic area TA1 (von Economo) in the cortex of the planum
temporale within the Sylvian fissure, which is auditory association cortex
and documented to be part of the neural substrate of language functions,
was studied quantitatively in the brain specimens of five women and four
men (mean age of 50 year). All cases were documented to be medically and
cognitively normal, and consistently right-handed. We investigated the
possibility that the difference in brain size between men and women is
reflected in differences in the numerical density of neurons in area TA1,
an area associated with morphologic and psychological sex differences.
Neuron counts were made directly through cell differentiation under the
microscope from Nissl-stained sections. Cortical depth, the number of
neurons through the depth of cortex under 1 mm2 of cortical surface (Nc),
and the number of neurons per unit volume (Nv) were obtained for the total
cortex and for each of the six layers in each hemisphere. For total cortex
in both hemispheres, depth and Nc were similar, but Nv was greater by 11%
in women, with no overlap of scores between the sexes. The sex difference
in Nv was attributable to layers II and IV; in contrast, Nv did not differ
between the sexes in layers III, V, and VI. This is the first report of
such a sex difference in human cortex. The results suggest that the
cortical functional unit has a different ratio of input and output
components in men and women which could have implications for the sex
differences in cognition and behavior. Due to the small sample size and the
homogeneity of the cases studied, generalizability of the results requires
replication by other studies. In addition, cytoarchitectonic mapping
indicated that area TA1 also occurs in the vertical posterior wall of the
Sylvian fissure, providing evidence that anatomical definition of the
planum temporale should include the posterior vertical wall of the superior
temporal gyrus.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
L. Alonso-Nanclares, J. Gonzalez-Soriano, J. R. Rodriguez, and J. DeFelipe
Gender differences in human cortical synaptic density
PNAS,
September 23, 2008;
105(38):
14615 - 14619.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Im, J.-M. Lee, O. Lyttelton, S. H. Kim, A. C. Evans, and S. I. Kim
Brain Size and Cortical Structure in the Adult Human Brain
Cereb Cortex,
September 1, 2008;
18(9):
2181 - 2191.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. R. Sowell, B. S. Peterson, E. Kan, R. P. Woods, J. Yoshii, R. Bansal, D. Xu, H. Zhu, P. M. Thompson, and A. W. Toga
Sex Differences in Cortical Thickness Mapped in 176 Healthy Individuals between 7 and 87 Years of Age
Cereb Cortex,
July 1, 2007;
17(7):
1550 - 1560.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Dorsaint-Pierre, V. B. Penhune, K. E. Watkins, P. Neelin, J. P. Lerch, M. Bouffard, and R. J. Zatorre
Asymmetries of the planum temporale and Heschl's gyrus: relationship to language lateralization
Brain,
May 1, 2006;
129(5):
1164 - 1176.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Baron-Cohen, R. C. Knickmeyer, and M. K. Belmonte
Sex Differences in the Brain: Implications for Explaining Autism
Science,
November 4, 2005;
310(5749):
819 - 823.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Kocak, J. L. Ulmer, B. B. Biswal, A. Aralasmak, D. L. Daniels, and L. P. Mark
The Influence of Gender on Auditory and Language Cortical Activation Patterns: Preliminary Data
AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol.,
October 1, 2005;
26(9):
2248 - 2255.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. L. Seghier, C. Boex, F. Lazeyras, A. Sigrist, and M. Pelizzone
fMRI Evidence for Activation of Multiple Cortical Regions in the Primary Auditory Cortex of Deaf Subjects Users of Multichannel Cochlear Implants
Cereb Cortex,
January 1, 2005;
15(1):
40 - 48.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. E. C. Sommer, A. Aleman, A. Bouma, and R. S. Kahn
Do women really have more bilateral language representation than men? A meta-analysis of functional imaging studies
Brain,
August 1, 2004;
127(8):
1845 - 1852.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Gaser and G. Schlaug
Brain Structures Differ between Musicians and Non-Musicians
J. Neurosci.,
October 8, 2003;
23(27):
9240 - 9245.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. F. Casanova, D. P. Buxhoeveden, A. E. Switala, and E. Roy
Minicolumnar pathology in autism
Neurology,
February 12, 2002;
58(3):
428 - 432.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. F. Casanova, D. P. Buxhoeveden, A. E. Switala, and E. Roy
Asperger's Syndrome and Cortical Neuropathology
J Child Neurol,
February 1, 2002;
17(2):
142 - 145.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Goldstein, L. J. Seidman, L. M. O'Brien, N. J. Horton, D. N. Kennedy, N. Makris, V. S. Caviness Jr, S. V. Faraone, and M. T. Tsuang
Impact of Normal Sexual Dimorphisms on Sex Differences in Structural Brain Abnormalities in Schizophrenia Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Arch Gen Psychiatry,
February 1, 2002;
59(2):
154 - 164.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. McEwen
Estrogen Actions Throughout the Brain
Recent Prog. Horm. Res.,
January 1, 2002;
57(1):
357 - 384.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. S. McEwen
Genome and Hormones: Gender Differences in Physiology: Invited Review: Estrogens effects on the brain: multiple sites and molecular mechanisms
J Appl Physiol,
December 1, 2001;
91(6):
2785 - 2801.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Eliez, C. M. Blasey, L. S. Freund, T. Hastie, and A. L. Reiss
Brain anatomy, gender and IQ in children and adolescents with fragile X syndrome
Brain,
August 1, 2001;
124(8):
1610 - 1618.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Goldstein, L. J. Seidman, N. J. Horton, N. Makris, D. N. Kennedy, V. S. Caviness Jr, S. V. Faraone, and M. T. Tsuang
Normal Sexual Dimorphism of the Adult Human Brain Assessed by In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Cereb Cortex,
June 1, 2001;
11(6):
490 - 497.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. Zimmerman, M. T. Abrams, J. D. Giuliano, M. B. Denckla, and H. S. Singer
Subcortical volumes in girls with Tourette syndrome: Support for a gender effect
Neurology,
June 27, 2000;
54(12):
2224 - 2229.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Harasty, J. R. Binder, J. A. Frost, T. A. Hammeke, P. S. F. Bellgowan, S. M. Rao, and R. W. Cox
Language processing in both sexes: evidence from brain studies
Brain,
February 1, 2000;
123(2):
404 - 406.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. L. Green, J. J. Hutsler, W. C. Loftus, M. J. Tramo, C. E. Thomas, A. W. Silberfarb, R. E. Nordgren, R. A. Nordgren, and M. S. Gazzaniga
The caudal infrasylvian surface in dyslexia: Novel magnetic resonance imaging-based findings
Neurology,
September 1, 1999;
53(5):
974 - 974.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Anderson, M. J. Tramo, and M. S. Gazzaniga
Brain size, head size, and intelligence quotient in monozygotic twins
Neurology,
July 1, 1999;
53(1):
239 - 239.
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. S. McEwen
Permanence of brain sex differences and structural plasticity of the adult brain
PNAS,
June 22, 1999;
96(13):
7128 - 7130.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. M. Cooke, G. Tabibnia, and S. M. Breedlove
A brain sexual dimorphism controlled by adult circulating androgens
PNAS,
June 22, 1999;
96(13):
7538 - 7540.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.F. Westbury, R.J. Zatorre, and A.C. Evans
Quantifying Variability in the Planum Temporale: A Probability Map
Cereb Cortex,
June 1, 1999;
9(4):
392 - 405.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. C. Gur, B. I. Turetsky, M. Matsui, M. Yan, W. Bilker, P. Hughett, and R. E. Gur
Sex Differences in Brain Gray and White Matter in Healthy Young Adults: Correlations with Cognitive Performance
J. Neurosci.,
May 15, 1999;
19(10):
4065 - 4072.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. L. Bryant, R. W. Buchanan, K. Vladar, A. Breier, and M. Rothman
Gender Differences in Temporal Lobe Structures of Patients With Schizophrenia: A Volumetric MRI Study
Am J Psychiatry,
April 1, 1999;
156(4):
603 - 609.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Frost, J. R. Binder, J. A. Springer, T. A. Hammeke, P. S.F. Bellgowan, S. M. Rao, and R. W. Cox
Language processing is strongly left lateralized in both sexes: Evidence from functional MRI
Brain,
February 1, 1999;
122(2):
199 - 208.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. N. Auer
Effect of Age and Sex on N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Antagonist-Induced Neuronal Necrosis in Rats
Stroke,
April 1, 1996;
27(4):
743 - 746.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. Van Laere and R. A. Dierckx
Brain Perfusion SPECT: Age- and Sex-related Effects Correlated with Voxel-based Morphometric Findings in Healthy Adults
Radiology,
December 1, 2001;
221(3):
810 - 817.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
