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Maryse, I have never had any gender confusion, have always been female; however, at age 43 my ovaries were removed due to ovarian cancer. Also due to ovarian cancer I never had any HRT. Sure makes one wonder. Did a lot of flea bombing. Grandfather had PD. Could there be multiple causes? Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "M.Schild" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 4:10 AM Subject: His and hers brain > Last Updated: Sunday, 23 October 2005, 22:56 GMT 23:56 UK > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4365540.stm > > E-mail this to a friend > Printable version > > > > Your brain's sex can make you ill > > > > By Michelle Roberts > BBC News health reporter > > > > > > > Male and female brains look and work differently > > > Scientists say they have proof that the sex of the brain makes men and > women > more prone to different diseases. > > Doctors know that women are more likely than men to have depression, > anxiety > or an eating disorder, while men are at higher risk of Parkinson's > disease. > > > Post-mortem and brain imaging studies show that male and female brains are > physically different. > > > Now scientists say they can to link the two together and suggest future > disease cures may be "gender-specific". > > > Male or female brain? > > > The sex of a brain is decided in the mother's womb and depends, among > other > factors, on hormone levels. > > > Higher levels of testosterone makes a male brain and oestrogen a female > one. > > > > We should be looking at diseases as male and female > > Professor Swaab > > > > Test your brain's sex > > > Professor Dick Swaab from The Netherlands Institute for Brain Research in > Amsterdam, said the evidence for this comes from studies of transsexuals - > people who know, often from a very early age, that they are born in the > wrong > gender body. > > > "The theory is that the sex difference in the sex organs develops early in > pregnancy - in the first few months while in utero - while sexual > differentiation of the brain occurs later in the second half of pregnancy > and > postnatally." > > > That would mean certain factors could interfere with the sexual > differentiation of the sex organs and brain in an independent way because > there is a time lapse between the two. > > > "If that was true you would expect to see female structures in male > brains. > That is indeed what people have found - a reversed sex difference in the > brain of transsexuals." > > > Brain gender diseases > > > He said that because men and women's brains are different "we should be > looking at diseases as male and female". > > > "There is a different sex ratio for neurological and psychiatric diseases. > > > "In depression, it is very clear that sex hormones are directly > interfering > with the stress axis in the brain. > > > > BRAIN SEX FACTS > > Women tend to be better at empathising - guessing other's emotions and > responding appropriately > > Men are generally better at systemising - investigating how a system works > > > > "We have shown that sensitive proteins [receptors] for sex hormones are > present in the cells that form the stress axis. In women there are more > oestrogen receptors and in men more androgen receptors present. > > > "That results in higher prevalence of depression in women compared to men > because the stress axis is more sensitive. > > > "The oestrogens are directly affecting the production of the stress > peptides. > > > "So for the same amount of stress in the environment, women are more prone > to > develop depression than men." > > > Others have shown that hormone levels could play a part in multiple > sclerosis. > > > Dr Carlo Pozzilli and colleagues at the University La Sapienza in Italy > found > that women with MS had lower levels of the male hormone testosterone > throughout their monthly cycle compared to women who did not have MS. > > > Dr Glenda Gillies and colleagues at Imperial College London have been > looking > at Parkinson's Disease, which is far more common in men than in women. > > > "The idea is that perhaps oestrogen is being neuroprotective so that the > neurones that degenerate in PD don't seem to be as susceptible to the > processes in women as they are in men," she said. > > > By looking at rats they found this was the case to some extent. > > > Female rats who had their ovaries removed became just as prone to a > chemically > induced condition similar to PD as male rats. > > > When these female mice were given extra oestrogen they got back their > natural > protection against PD as well. > > > Similarly, when they took away the source of the testosterone in male rats > by > castrating them, the brain degeneration was lessened. > > > However, surprisingly, when they gave the male mice oestrogen the damage > was > even worse. > > > His n' Hers drugs > > > Dr Gillies said: "Administering oestrogen in the two sexes seems to have > opposite effects. > > > > I think we are realising that drugs have to be personalised > > Dr Glenda Gillies, Imperial College London > > > > "It may well be that there is something that has been programmed > differently > in the brain during early development to make it respond in a different > way." > > > She said work suggested that oestrogen might also help prevent strokes and > Alzheimer's disease, but that it was still very early days. > > > "Increasingly, I think we are realising that drugs have to be personalised > and > that one drug is not necessarily going to be the same for each > individual." > > > She said that most of the drugs available today had been tested on men, > which > may mean they are not necessarily the best design for women. > > > Anita Holdcroft, consultant anaesthetist also from Imperial College > London, > agrees. > > > She said not only are male and female brains different, but women's brains > change throughout life in relation to fluctuating hormone levels. > > > "That may well affect disease states and how drugs work." > > > She scanned the brains of women before and after they were pregnant and > found > the brain shrank during pregnancy. > > > The shrinkage was even greater if the woman had a complication of > pregnancy > called preeclampsia, but reversed by six months after delivery of the > baby. > > > "We need studies to find out why these things are happening. > > > "It may well affect disease states and how drugs work and highlights our > lack > of understanding," she said. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn