Multiple Origins of Sex Differences in Brain

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. Hormone-Dependent Chromatin Modifications Related to Sexually Differentiated Behaviors

   • Khatuna Gagnidze, Donald W. Pfaff

   Pages 1-19

3. Importance of Genomic Imprinting in the Evolution and Development of the Maternal Brain

   • Barry E. Keverne

   Pages 21-33

4. Genomic Imprinting in the Adult and Developing Brain

   • Catherine Dulac, Gregg Christopher

   Pages 35-41

5. The Synapse: Differences Between Men and Women

   • Javier DeFelipe, Lidia Alonso-Nanclares

   Pages 43-57

6. Gonadal Hormone Influences on Human Neurobehavioral Development: Outcomes and Mechanisms

   • Melissa Hines

   Pages 59-69

7. Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Neuroendocrine, Behavioral and Cognitive Implications

   • Phyllis W. Speiser

   Pages 71-79

8. Genetic Variation Within Serotonin Genes, Hormones, and Aggression

   • Francesca Ducci, Laura Bevilacqua, Paola Landi, David Goldman

   Pages 81-102

9. Multiple Origins of Sex Differences in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

   • James M. Swanson, Kimberly D. Lakes, Tim L. Wigal, Nora D. Volkow

   Pages 103-122

10. Fetal Testosterone in Mind: Implications for Autism

    • Bonnie Auyeung, Simon Baron-Cohen

    Pages 123-137

11. Sex Differences in HPA and HPG Axes Dysregulation in Major Depressive Disorder: The Role of Shared Brain Circuitry Between Hormones and Mood

    • Jill M. Goldstein, Laura M. Holsen, Robert Handa, Stuart Tobet

    Pages 139-163

12. Estrogens: Protective or Risk Factors in the Injured Brain?

    • Phyllis M. Wise, Candice M. Brown, Jodi L. Downs

    Pages 165-178

13. Back Matter

    Pages 179-181

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In theoretical terms, sex differences in brains and behaviors of laboratory animals offer the possibility of fascinating scientific studies on a range of molecular phenomena such as genomic imprinting, DNA methylation, chromatin protein modification, non-coding DNA, potentially resulting in important neuroanatomical and neurochemical sex differences in the brain. Such sex differences could arise consequent to exposures to testosterone early in development, or to other effects deriving from the Y chromosome. However, this general subject has been treated with much hyperbole. Historically, sex differences were assumed to be present where they did not really exist, e.g. with respect to mathematics, executive leadership, etc. etc. Under what circumstances do we really care about sex differences in brain and behavior? These circumstances concern human maladies whose diagnoses are much different between boys and girls, or between women and men. Prominent examples discussed in this volume include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In fact, infant boys are more susceptible than infant girls to a variety of disorders that arise early in development. This volume then ends with a consideration of effects of estrogenic hormones on the injured brain, and their roles as protective agents.

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorders
• autism
• chromatin modifications
• epigenetics
• fetal hormonal programming
• genomic imprinting

• , Lab. of Biochem. and Molec. Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA

  Donald W. Pfaff

• Fondation Ipsen, Boulogne Billancourt, France

  Yves Christen

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