Abstract
Gonadal steroids exert very complex influences on the brain. The neural circuitries participating in neuroendocrine control of the reproductive functions are under the direct control of the gonadal steroids throughout life. Further, in the developmental processes, the sex steroids affect brain sexual differentiation to produce major sex differences in neuroendocrine and behavioral functions. In this regard, recent studies indicate that the sex steroids modulate the number of neurons in certain brain areas and promote circuit formation. Synaptogenesis is also facilitated by estrogen. These organizational effects of the gonadal steroids appear to be regionally specific and correlate with the presence and topographic localization of the sex steroid-receptor containing neurons (Arai et al., 1986; Gorski, 1990).
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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Arai, Y. et al. (1993). Morphological Correlates of Neuronal Plasticty to Gonadal Steroids: Sexual Differentiation of the Preoptic Area. In: Haug, M., Whalen, R.E., Aron, C., Olsen, K.L. (eds) The Development of Sex Differences and Similarities in Behavior. NATO ASI Series, vol 73. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1709-8_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1709-8_18
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