266 Pages 57 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    268 Pages 57 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    The first edition of The Female Brain laid the groundwork for gaining a better understanding of the female brain, examining the evidence for structural and functional differences between the brains of males and females. Addressing a wealth of new research, the second edition continues in this vein, leading readers through the basic principles of anatomy and physiology and on to the complex behavioral functions which constitute the workings of the normal and abnormal female brain.

    Examines Questions about Structural and Functional Differences

    The book addresses the question of structural and functional differences between the female brain and the male brain. Are there differences? How good is the evidence? Where do the differences lie? Are there differences in the neuroanatomy of females, and if so, where? Do females and males process information differently, and if so, how? The author puts the relative lack of information on the female brain into historical perspective and reviews empirical evidence relevant to the different aspects of brain structure and function. She elucidates laterality, the functional asymmetry of the brain, the left brain-right brain distinctions, and how they differ between females and males.

    A Clear Presentation and Evaluation of Medical and Scientific Evidence

    Filled with rigorous scientific analysis in an easily accessible format and detailed explanatory diagrams, the book systematically develops the topic from anatomy to behavior. It draws on current research to explain why men and women behave differently and why these differences should be exploited when designing research and clinical studies.

    Introduction

    The Male and His Muse

    The Rules

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    A Historical Perspective

    The Rise of Modern Science

    Conclusions

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Brain Structure: The Architecture of Difference

    Development of the Brain

    Sexual Dimorphism in the CNS

    Regional Differences

    Evidence from Other Species

    Structural Changes in the Adult Brain

    Conclusions

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Functional Differences: Neurotransmitters and

    Neuromodulators

    Estrogen, Progesterone, Androgens, and Their Receptors in the CNS

    Methods for Identifying Receptors in the CNS

    Estrogen Receptors

    Progesterone Receptors

    "The Knockout Model"

    GABA.

    Serotonin

    Dopamine

    Cannabinoids

    Measures of Global Function

    Evidence from EEG Studies

    Evidence from Evoked Potential Studies

    Evidence from Scan Studies

    Conclusions

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Perception and Cognition

    IQ: When Is a Difference Not a Difference?

    Visual Perception

    Color: Perception and Preference

    Auditory Perception

    The Senses of Smell and Taste

    A Word about Touch

    Numbers and Sums

    Memory

    Conclusions

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Laterality

    Parallel Processing and Hemispheric Advantage

    Understanding Language

    Emotion and Laterality

    Laterality, the Menstrual Cycle, and Hemispheric Advantage

    Two Theoretical Perspectives on Laterality

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Neurology, Psychiatry, and the Female Brain

    Neurology

    Psychiatry

    Conclusions

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Drugs and Drug Effects

    Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

    Drug Entry into the CNS

    Drug Administration in Pregnancy and Lactation

    Drug Treatment of Neurological Disorders

    Drug Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders

    The Non-Therapeutic Use of Drugs

    Conclusions

    Bibliography and Recommended Readings

    Into the Twenty-First Century

    The Story to Date

    Pregnancy and the Brain

    Instructions for Using the Female Brain

    Pursuing the Future

    Changing the Outcomes

    Bibliography and References

    Index

    Biography

    Cynthia L. Darlington