The Female Brain

The first edition of The Female Brain laid the groundwork for gaining a better understanding of the female brain, examining the evidence for 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.

Examines Questions about Structural and Functional Differences
The book addresses the question of structural and functional differences between the female brain and the male brain. Are there differences? How good is the evidence? Where do the differences lie? Are there differences in the neuroanatomy of females, and if so, where? Do females and males process information differently, and if so, how? The author puts the relative lack of information on the female brain into historical perspective and reviews empirical evidence relevant to the different aspects of brain structure and function. She elucidates laterality, the functional asymmetry of the brain, the left brain-right brain distinctions, and how they differ between females and males.

A Clear Presentation and Evaluation of Medical and Scientific Evidence
Filled with rigorous scientific analysis in an easily accessible format and detailed explanatory diagrams, the book systematically develops the topic from anatomy to behavior. It draws on current research to explain why men and women behave differently and why these differences should be exploited when designing research and clinical studies.

Introduction
The Male and His Muse
The Rules
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
A Historical Perspective
The Rise of Modern Science
Conclusions
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Brain Structure: The Architecture of Difference
Development of the Brain
Sexual Dimorphism in the CNS
Regional Differences
Evidence from Other Species
Structural Changes in the Adult Brain
Conclusions
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Functional Differences: Neurotransmitters and
Neuromodulators
Estrogen, Progesterone, Androgens, and Their Receptors in the CNS
Methods for Identifying Receptors in the CNS
Estrogen Receptors
Progesterone Receptors
"The Knockout Model"
GABA.
Serotonin
Dopamine
Cannabinoids
Measures of Global Function
Evidence from EEG Studies
Evidence from Evoked Potential Studies
Evidence from Scan Studies
Conclusions
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Perception and Cognition
IQ: When Is a Difference Not a Difference?
Visual Perception
Color: Perception and Preference
Auditory Perception
The Senses of Smell and Taste
A Word about Touch
Numbers and Sums
Memory
Conclusions
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Laterality
Parallel Processing and Hemispheric Advantage
Understanding Language
Emotion and Laterality
Laterality, the Menstrual Cycle, and Hemispheric Advantage
Two Theoretical Perspectives on Laterality
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Neurology, Psychiatry, and the Female Brain
Neurology
Psychiatry
Conclusions
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Drugs and Drug Effects
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
Drug Entry into the CNS
Drug Administration in Pregnancy and Lactation
Drug Treatment of Neurological Disorders
Drug Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders
The Non-Therapeutic Use of Drugs
Conclusions
Bibliography and Recommended Readings
Into the Twenty-First Century
The Story to Date
Pregnancy and the Brain
Instructions for Using the Female Brain
Pursuing the Future
Changing the Outcomes
Bibliography and References
Index