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Discordant Transsexualism in Male Monozygotic Twins: Neuroanatomical and Psychological Differences

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Abstract

One monozygotic male twin pair discordant for transsexualism is described. Both twins were interviewed and tested with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale battery for cognitive functions and they underwent magnetic resonance imaging to measure the volumes of specific cerebral structures. Interviews with the twins and their mother indicated no unusual medical or life history events that could have had a causal role in the emergence of the disorder. Both cognitive function testing and neuroimaging detected differences between the twins that could be related to unexplained epigenetic effects and exogenous hormone usage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gender Identity Disorder Program, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Tahiana Signorini Andreazza, Angelo Brandelli Costa, Raffael Massuda, Jaqueline Salvador, Esalba Maria Silveira, Felipe Piccon, Renata Carvalho, Anna Martha Vaitses Fontanari, Walter Koff, Paulo Belmonte-de-Abreu & Maria Inês Rodrigues Lobato

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  1. Tahiana Signorini Andreazza
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  2. Angelo Brandelli Costa
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  3. Raffael Massuda
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  4. Jaqueline Salvador
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  5. Esalba Maria Silveira
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  6. Felipe Piccon
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  7. Renata Carvalho
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  8. Anna Martha Vaitses Fontanari
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  9. Walter Koff
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  10. Paulo Belmonte-de-Abreu
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  11. Maria Inês Rodrigues Lobato
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Correspondence to Tahiana Signorini Andreazza.

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Andreazza, T.S., Costa, A.B., Massuda, R. et al. Discordant Transsexualism in Male Monozygotic Twins: Neuroanatomical and Psychological Differences. Arch Sex Behav 43, 399–405 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0151-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0151-8

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