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Multiple origins of sex differences in brain. Neuroendocrine functions and their pathologies.
In theoretical terms, sex differences in brain and behavior offer the possibility of fascinating scientific studies on a range of molecular phenomena such as DNA methylation, chromatin protein modification, non-coding DNA, resulting in important neuroanatomical and neurochemical effects. However, this general subject has been treated with much hyperbole. Historically, sex differences were assumed to be present where they did not really exist, e.g. with respect to mathematics, executive leadership, etc. etc. Under what circumstances do we really care about sex differences in brain and behavior? These circumstances concern human maladies whose diagnoses are much different between boys and girls, or between women and men. Prominent examples to be discussed today will include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The meeting will end with a consideration of effects of estrogenic hormones on the injured brain, and their roles as protective agents.
Donald PFAFF (The Rockefeller University, New York, USA)
Hormone-dependent chromatin modifications regulating sexually differentiated animal behavior
Eric B. KEVERNE (University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK)
Importance of genomic imprinting in the evolution and development of the maternal brain
Catherine DULAC (Harvard University & Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, USA)
Sex battles in the brain
Javier DE FELIPE (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain)
Sex differences in cortical synaptic density in humans
Melissa HINES (University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK)
Gonadal hormone influences on human neurobehavioral development
Simon BARON-COHEN (Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK)
Foetal testosterone in mind
Francesca DUCCI (King’s College, London, UK)
Interaction between MAOA and childhood trauma on risk of developing antisocial behavior: gender differences
Jay GIEDD (National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, USA)
Male/female differences in childhood and adolescent brain development: Insights from neuroimaging
Jill GOLDSTEIN (Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA)
Fetal hormonal programming of the brain: Implications for understanding sex differences in depression and risk for cardiovascular disease
James SWANSON (University of California, Irvine, USA)
Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and cortisol
Phyllis W. SPEISER (Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine, New York, USA)
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and related disorders: Neuroendocrine, behavioral and cognitive implications.
Phyllis WISE (University of Washington, Seattle, USA)
Estrogens: protective or risk factors in the injured brain.
Event Date : November 28, 2011
