SAN DIEGO — Research released today demonstrates unexpected roles that sex hormones may play in the cognitive function of females, including memory and interpreting social cues. Additionally, a chemical identified in pregnant mice may provide insight into developmental disorders, such as schizophrenia. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
Today's new findings show that:
Other recent findings discussed show that:
"Researchers are recognizing there are more differences between male and female biologies than originally thought," said press conference moderator Catherine Woolley of Northwestern University, an expert on hormones such as estrogen. "These new studies help to show how sex differences and the actions of hormones in the brain affect how we develop, respond to the environment, and how we age. Through understanding sex differences, we can improve the way biology informs medicine."
Read the full release and abstracts at http://www.sfn.org .
This research was supported by national funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as private and philanthropic organizations. Find more information about hormones and sex differences in the brain at BrainFacts.org .