The Female Brain

by Darlington; Cynthia L.

• ISBN13: 9781420077445
• ISBN10: 1420077449
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-04-27
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

The first edition of this bestseller laid the groundwork for understanding the female brain, examining the evidence of structural and functional differences between the brains of males and females. Addressing a wealth of new research, the second edition continues in this vein, leading readers through the basic principles of anatomy and physiology and on to the complex behavioral functions which constitute the workings of the normal and abnormal female brain. Filled with rigorous scientific analysis in an easily accessible format, the book delineates gender-based differences between brains and explains why they should be considered when designing research and clinical studies.

Table of Contents

Series Preface	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
The Author	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
The male and his muse	p. 1
The background	p. 3
Hormones	p. 3
The central nervous system	p. 8
Interactions between hormones and neurotransmitters	p. 21
Neuroscience methods	p. 21
The rules	p. 22
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 24
A historical perspective	p. 27
The rise of modern science	p. 31
Conclusions	p. 36
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 36
Brain structure: The architecture of difference	p. 39
Development of the brain	p. 40
Sexual dimorphism in the CNS	p. 42
Regional differences	p. 46
Evidence from other species	p. 51
Structural changes in the adult brain	p. 54
Conclusions	p. 54
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 56
Functional differences: Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators	p. 59
Estrogen, progesterone, androgens, and their receptors in the CNS	p. 60
Methods for identifying receptors in the CNS	p. 61
Estrogen receptors	p. 62
Progesterone receptors	p. 64
"The knockout model"	p. 65
GABA	p. 66
Serotonin	p. 68
Dopamine	p. 70
Cannabinoids	p. 75
Measures of global function	p. 76
Evidence from EEG studies	p. 81
Evidence from evoked potential studies	p. 83
Evidence from scan studies	p. 84
Conclusions	p. 86
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 86
Perception and cognition	p. 91
IQ: When is a difference not a difference?	p. 93
Visual perception	p. 96
Color: Perception and preference	p. 106
Auditory perception	p. 107
The senses of small and taste	p. 108
A word about touch	p. 112
Numbers and sums	p. 112
Memory	p. 113
Conclusions	p. 119
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 120
Laterality	p. 125
Parallel processing and hemispheric advantage	p. 126
Understanding language	p. 128
Emotion and laterality	p. 135
Laterality, the menstrual cycle, and hemispheric advantage	p. 137
Two theoretical perspectives on laterality	p. 139
Conclusions	p. 144
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 146
Neurology, Psychiatry, and the female brain	p. 149
Neurology	p. 149
Chronic headaches	p. 150
Stroke	p. 151
Chronic pain	p. 151
Stress	p. 152
Sleep	p. 155
Multiple sclerosis	p. 156
Epilepsy	p. 163
Parkinson's disease	p. 166
Alzheimer's disease and aging	p. 169
Psychiatry	p. 172
Depression	p. 172
Anxiety	p. 176
Schizophrenia	p. 178
Conclusions	p. 184
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 185
Drugs and drug effects	p. 193
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics	p. 195
Drug entry into the CNS	p. 198
Drug administration in pregnancy and lactation	p. 199
Drug treatment of neurological disorders	p. 200
Pain and analgesia	p. 200
Migraine	p. 201
Neurodegeneration	p. 201
Parkinson's disease	p. 205
Alzheimer's disease	p. 206
Multiple sclerosis	p. 208
Epilepsy	p. 208
Drug treatment of psychiatric disorders	p. 210
Anxiety	p. 210
Depression	p. 216
Psychosis	p. 219
The nontherapeutic use of drugs	p. 221
Conclusions	p. 225
Bibliography and recommended readings	p. 226
Into the twenty-first century	p. 233
The story to date	p. 234
Pregnancy and the brain	p. 237
Instructions for using the female brain	p. 237
Pursuing the future	p. 238
Changing the outcomes	p. 240
Bibliography and references	p. 242
Index	p. 243
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