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Published on: November 27, 2019
Sex differences in the association between gray matter volume and verbal creativity
Baoguo Shi1, Li Xu, Qunlin Chen
1aBeijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing bKey Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education cSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Women exhibit higher originality than men, linked to distinct gray matter volume (GMV) in the left temporo-occipital junction. This brain region plays a key role in sex differences in verbal creativity.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Sex differences in creativity are significant and warrant further investigation.
- Understanding the neurobiological basis of these differences is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in the association between verbal creativity and gray matter volume (GMV).
- To identify specific brain regions underlying these sex differences in creativity.
Main Methods:
- Employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on a large sample of healthy adults (163 men, 193 women).
- Analyzed the relationship between verbal creativity scores (originality) and GMV.
Main Results:
- Women scored significantly higher than men on originality.
- A significant sex difference was observed in the association between originality and GMV in the left temporo-occipital junction.
- In women, higher originality correlated with increased GMV; in men, higher originality correlated with decreased GMV.
Conclusions:
- The left temporo-occipital junction's GMV is implicated in sex differences in verbal creativity.
- This finding aligns with the role of the left temporal region in semantic processing, where women often excel.
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