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Sexual Dimorphism Within Brain Regions Controlling Speech Production
Laura de Lima Xavier1,2, Sandra Hanekamp1,2, Kristina Simonyan1,2
1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|August 17, 2019
Summary
This study reveals sex differences in brain structure related to speech. Females show greater left Heschl's gyrus thickness, potentially impacting auditory processing for speech production.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Speech Production
Background:
- Speech production is typically lateralized to the left hemisphere.
- Structural bases for speech lateralization and their relation to sexual dimorphism are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in cortical thickness of speech control regions.
- To explore if cortical morphology differences explain sexual dimorphism in speech processing.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Speech-production functional MRI (fMRI).
- Analysis of cortical thickness in healthy males and females.
Main Results:
- Females exhibited greater left Heschl's gyrus cortical thickness than males.
- Rightward asymmetry was observed in the supramarginal gyrus.
- Leftward asymmetry was observed in the precentral gyrus in both sexes.
Conclusions:
- Sexual dimorphism in the Heschl's gyrus may influence auditory processing for speech.
- Cortical asymmetries in speech motor areas contribute to functional lateralization.
- Sex is a crucial biological variable in speech control research.
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