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Updated: May 22, 2025

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

Sex/gender differences in hemispheric asymmetries.

Sophie Hodgetts¹, Markus Hausmann¹

¹Department of Psychology, Durham University, England, United Kingdom.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology

|March 12, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Small sex/gender differences in brain hemispheric asymmetry exist, but overlap is significant. Future research should adopt a biopsychosocial approach to fully understand these brain variations and their clinical relevance.

Keywords:

Biopsychosocial approach Functional cerebral asymmetries Psychotic disorders Sex differences Sex hormones

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Cognitive Science

Background:

Decades of research have explored sex/gender differences in brain hemispheric asymmetries.
Existing studies often lack comprehensive consideration of sex/gender-related factors like hormones and social roles.
Definitions of "sex" and "gender" lack universal agreement, complicating research.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically review 40 years of research on sex/gender differences in structural and functional brain asymmetries.
To highlight limitations in current research methodologies and definitions.
To advocate for a biopsychosocial approach in future investigations.

Main Methods:

Comprehensive literature review of studies on sex/gender differences in hemispheric asymmetry.
Analysis of both early and contemporary research findings.
Critical evaluation of methodological approaches and definitions used in the field.

Main Results:

Reliable, though small, sex/gender differences in hemispheric asymmetry are consistently observed.
Significant overlap exists between male and female groups, with considerable within-group variation.
Current research inadequately addresses sex/gender-related factors and employs dichotomous categorizations.

Conclusions:

The human brain is not sexually dimorphic, but sex/gender differences in brain function are not trivial.
These differences have potential clinical implications for neurologic and psychiatric patient populations.
Future research must adopt a biopsychosocial framework to account for complex interactions of factors influencing brain asymmetry.