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Sex equality in intrahemispheric language organization.
1Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Research Institute of St. Joseph's Hospital, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Brain and Language
|October 1, 1989
Summary
This study examined brain organization and language in stroke patients. Findings show no sex differences in lesion location or intrahemispheric language organization, contradicting prior beliefs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Previous research suggested sex differences in brain organization explain cognitive variations.
- Widely held beliefs postulate gender-based differences in cerebral lateralization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in intrahemispheric language organization.
- To determine if lesion location in stroke patients reveals gender-based cerebral organization patterns.
Main Methods:
- Computed tomography (CT) was used to identify lesion locations in stroke patients with aphasia.
- Analysis focused on the incidence of anterior, posterior, and central lesions.
- Distribution of left-hemisphere lesions was compared between sexes.
Main Results:
- No significant sex differences were observed in the incidence of anterior, posterior, or central lesions.
- The distribution of left-hemisphere lesions in stroke patients, with or without aphasia, was equal across sexes.
- Data did not support a gender difference in intrahemispheric cerebral organization.
Conclusions:
- This study challenges the notion of sex-based differences in intrahemispheric brain organization.
- Findings suggest that language processing is organized similarly in both male and female brains.
- The postulated gender difference in cerebral organization related to language is not supported by this research.