How Different is a Woman’s Brain
from a Man’s?
A
woman is a lot different from a man in terms of physical appearance and
behavior. The differences are part of the natural evolution of human beings; as
males and females got adapted for different roles played by them. The
differences are also due to the effects of hormones as well as sociocultural factors.
The current article focuses on the differences between the brains of men and
women, both in terms of structure as well as functions.
Men
have a larger brain volume as compared to women. Even after taking into consideration
the fact that males are taller and larger, their brains are about 10% larger
than that of women. Higher brain volume in men does not translate to the fact
that men are smarter or more intelligent than women. IQ tests across large
number of women and men have not shown any statistically significant differences
between the two sexes.
The
main difference between a man and woman’s brains is regarding their language
areas. In men, the language area is predominantly located in the left
hemisphere of the brain; whereas in women, language areas are located in both
left and right hemispheres of brain. In a research detecting blood flow to
brain while people listened to a novel, only the left hemisphere was activated
in men. On the other hand, both hemispheres were activated in women. The
language areas on right frontal and temporal lobes are larger in women than in
men. Also, the language areas in girls mature about six years earlier than in
boys.
These
observations explain the better proficiency of women when comes to language
skills. Females use language more when they compete. They gossip, manipulate
information as per David Geary, professor of psychological sciences at the
University of Missouri. If there are more areas dedicated to a set of skills,
it follows that the skills will be more refined. Women also use language to
build relationships. Women pause more, allow the other friend to speak more,
offer facilitative gestures.
Certain
disorders such as learning disability or dyslexia and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more common in boys than in girls.
It
is not that women have all the advantage! Boys fare much better when it comes
to mathematics and geometry. The areas of brain involved in math and geometry mature
four years earlier in boys than in girls. Males tend to have much larger
inferior parietal lobules, the area of brain thought to influence mathematical
ability. Interestingly, this is the same area of Einstein’s brain, which was
discovered to be significantly large. However, many researchers believe that
the mathematical ability does not differ between the sexes. The apparent
differences are because of sociocultural factors, such as less encouragement
for girls regarding mathematics, lesser coaching/training and math anxiety
among girls.
Women
are generally more emotional and are able to express their feelings better.
This is mainly because of their larger deep limbic system. Women are able to
connect better and they serve as better caregiver for children. The downside to
this larger deep limbic system is that women are also more prone to depression,
especially during times of hormonal shifts such as after childbirth or during
menstrual periods. Women are also more prone to develop anxiety.
Men
and women perceive pain differently. Women require higher doses of painkillers
for pain relief. They are also more likely than men to complain about pain and
seek treatments for pain relief. The area of brain that gets activated in pain
is amygdala. In women, the left amygdala is activated, whereas in men, the
right amygdala is activated during pain. The left amygdala has more intense
connections with other parts of brain that modulate pain.
Men
and women respond differently to stressful situations. Men tend to have “fight
or flight” type of response. They are either aggressive or run away. Women on
the other hand approach the stressful situations with “tend and befriend”
strategy. When faced with stressful situations, women first take care of
themselves and their children (tending) and form strong group bonds
(befriending). This difference is because of hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin
is released during stress in both men and women. Estrogen (female hormone)
enhances oxytocin resulting in calming and nurturing feelings, whereas
testosterone (male hormone produced in high levels during stress) reduces the
effect of oxytocin.
There
are also certain differences with regards to memory functions between men and
women. Women are better in recognition of emotional expressions, especially
negative emotions such as fear or sadness.
Short
term or working memory is also better in women than men. This is partly because
women are better in attending to more than one task at a time (multitasking).
On the other hand, certain types of short-term memory such as visuo-spatial
information are better in men. If a couple gets lost in a deep forest, it is
the man who is more likely to find the correct route to safety!
Women
are better than men in remembering specific dates or events, which explains why
men forget the most important birthdays and anniversaries.
When
it comes to disorders of memory loss, men are more likely to suffer from
age-related memory impairment. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s disease, the most
common cause of dementia, is more common in women than men.
In
summary, a woman’s brain is different from a man’s brain in many ways. These
differences have been the result of millions of years of evolution and help
women and men adapt to the different roles they need to play in family as well
as society.
(This
article was slightly modified and published in March 2016 issue of B Positive
magazine)
Dr
SUDHIR KUMAR MD DM
Senior
Consultant Neurologist
Apollo
Health City, Hyderabad
Ph-
0091-40-23607777/60601066
Email:
drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com
