IRVINE, Calif., April 3 (UPI) -- University of California-Irvine scientists say, even at rest and without stimuli, a key part of men's and women's brains behaves differently.
The researchers say their finding might lead to new treatments for psychiatric and medical disorders.
Larry Cahill, an associate professor of neurobiology and behavior, and Lisa Kilpatrick, a former postdoctoral fellow in his laboratory, found the amygdala, an almond-shaped structure found on both sides of the brain, behaves very differently in males and females while the subjects are at rest.
In men, the right amygdala is more active and shows more connections with other regions of the brain. Conversely, in women, the left amygdala is more connected with other regions of the brain. In addition, the regions of the brain with which the amygdala communicates while a subject is at rest are different in men and women.
The scientists say their finding might be key to determining why gender-related differences exist in certain psychiatric disorders and how to treat a variety of illnesses.
The study, which included researchers from Vanderbilt University and the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, appears in this week's issue of NeuroImage.
