Functional anatomy of visuo-spatial working memory during mental rotation is influenced by sex, menstrual cycle, and sex steroid hormones

Schöning, Sonja; Engelien, Almut; Kugel, Harald; Schäfer, S.; Schiffbauer, Hagen; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Pletziger, E.; Beizai, P.; Kersting, Anette; Ohrmann, Patricia; Greb, Robert R.; Lehmann, Wolfgang; Heindel, Walter; Arolt, Volker; Konrad, Carsten

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.06.011

Cited by 230 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Interpreting the hippocampalparietal connectivity in connection to spatial processing seems plausible given that the hippocampus itself, especially the posterior part, is also involved in spatial processing (Kühn and Gallinat, 2014). Therefore, our finding of higher connectivity between the regions during highestrogen phases of the menstrual cycle is in line with previous behavioral results documenting cycle-dependent differences in performance on spatial tasks (McCormick and Teillon, 2001;Schöning et al, 2007;Silverman and Phillips, 1993). Future studies need to clarify why high estrogen phases of the human menstrual cycle are associated with an increase in the functional connectivity of the hippocampus, and a decrease in performance on spatial tasks, such as mental rotation (Silverman and Phillips, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The superior parietal lobe itself also seems to be sensitive to hormonal variation across the cycle. Schöning et al (2007) found a correlation between the activation of the superior parietal lobe during a mental rotation task and the serum estradiol concentration (Schöning et al, 2007). Interpreting the hippocampalparietal connectivity in connection to spatial processing seems plausible given that the hippocampus itself, especially the posterior part, is also involved in spatial processing (Kühn and Gallinat, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hippocampal volume and functional connectivity changes during the female menstrual cycle

et al. 2015

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Hippocampal volume has been shown to be sensitive to variations in estrogen and progesterone levels across rodents' estrous cycle. However, little is known about the covariation of hormone levels and brain structure in the course of the human menstrual cycle. Here, we examine this covariation with a multi-method approach that includes several brain imaging methods and hormonal assessments. We acquired structural and functional scans from 21 naturally cycling women on four time points during their cycles (early follicular phase, late follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase). Hormone blood concentrations and cognitive performance in different domains were assessed on each of the measurement occasions. Structural MRI images were processed by means of whole-brain voxel-based morphometry and FreeSurfer. With either method, bilateral increases in hippocampal volume were found in the late follicular phase relative to the early follicular phase. The gray matter probability in regions of hippocampal volume increase was associated with lower mean diffusivity in the same region. In addition, we observed higher functional connectivity between the hippocampi and the bilateral superior parietal lobe in the late follicular phase. We did not find any reliable cycle-related performance variations on the cognitive tasks. The present results show that hormonal fluctuations covary with hippocampal structure and function in the course of the human menstrual cycle.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hippocampal volume and functional connectivity changes during the female menstrual cycle

et al. 2015

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“…In fact, the existence of dynamic changes in brain functional connectivity proposed as task-adaptive processes triggered by increasing working memory load demands which affect, basically, the frontal-executive and occipitoparietal-perceptual cortices (Brookes et al, 2011;Cocchi, et al, 2011) seem to support the explanation of these data. In addition, gender-related differences in the brain activation patterns elicited by the performance of spatial working memory tasks strengthen the aforementioned assumption (Schöning et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…From a functional point of view, several studies have described gender-related differences in brain activation patterns when performing a variety of cognitive tasks, although performance in these tasks does not necessarily vary, and variability in performance may not be reflected in differences in brain activation (Bell, Willson, Wilman, Dave, & Silverstone, 2006;Grabner, Fink, Stipacek, Neuper, & Neubauer, 2004). Also, in the particular case of VSWM tasks, gender-related differences could be present in both behavioral performances -which tends to be better in males-and brain activation patterns (Schöning et al, 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in Visuospatial Working Memory —Does Emotion Matter?

González-Garrido

Gómez-Velázquez

Sequeira

et al. 2013

IJPS

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Sex-based differences in visuospatial working memory (VSWM) processing have been documented previously. However, there is a significant lack of empirical data on the gender-related effects on both cognitive load, and the emotional content of spatially-remembered objects in VSWM. In order to explore this issue, 50 young adults (25 males) voluntarily participated in performing a VSWM task with two different levels of cognitive load. Trials included 4 or 6 facial (happy, fearful and neutral faces), or non-facial, stimuli, presented sequentially at randomized spatial locations, and subjects were asked to reproduce the sequences in inverse order. Behavioral results showed that both males and females performed more accurately and faster when the sequences to be reproduced were shorter. In general, males performed significantly better than females, but particularly when reproducing longer sequences. Males and females were sensitive to the emotional content of the stimuli, as both genders achieved significantly more correct responses during trials with happy faces. Results suggest that gender-based differences on VSWM processing go beyond discriminating processes, and may involve dissimilarities in cognitive strategies, and/or underlying neural substrates.

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“…This imaging, according to Schoning et al (2007), allows claims to be made about cognitive activity and do appear to indicate sex differences in the development of the brain that appear to manifest in early in childhood (ibid)suggesting that there may be innately fixed differences between male and female brains. These differences, it has been proposed by researchers such as Baron-Cohen et al (2004) and Wolpert (2014), have developed over the course of evolution and could have become incorporated into human development either through hormones that babies are exposed to prenatally or through genetic differences.…”

Section: How Gender Can Be Viewed: Biological Determinismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of gender in early years

Wingrave

2016

Gender and Education

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This article presents an exploration of a group of Early Years Practitioners' (EYPs) perceptions of gender that may provide some insight into the growing divide between boys' and girls' educational performance (Burusic et al., 2012). I argue that the current media and educational interest in the gendered brain (Sax, 2005) and the influences that surround the child (Eckert and McConnell, 2013), can result in children acquiring social expectations and attitudes to learning that are different for both sexes. The frequent dimorphic treatment of boys and girls is often based on assumed biological differences (Baron-Cohen et al, 2004) that suggest that the sexes learn differently. This can result in the approaches to the care and education of children being established on their sex categories rather than their individual needs. My focus here is to explore practitioners' expectations and understanding of children's behaviour and learning in the nursery environment. The study is premised on the belief that practitioners' perceptions of gender could, as argued by Eliot (2009), result in self-fulfilling prophecies being (re)produced and (re)created. The deployment of stereotypical assumptions and practices could, I suggest, limit children's opportunities. The data used here is drawn from my doctoral study of the nature of gender as was understood by eight EYPs who took part in five discussion group sessions. An interpretative paradigm was adopted, where the EYPs' discussed their experiences and understanding of gender from their practice. Following Holloway and Wheeler (2013), the study explored experiences and perceptions in order to illuminate meaning and understanding. The findings indicated that there is a belief amongst the group of practitioners with whom I worked that gender is either innate or learned and that EYPs play no role in its development. The tentative conclusions suggest that changes to the education and training of EYPs are required in order to raise awareness of gender issues in nurseries. I suggest that there is a need to place gender back on the education and training agenda for EYP in order to support changes to practice that could, in turn, provide children with more equitable teaching and learning experiences.

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Functional anatomy of visuo-spatial working memory during mental rotation is influenced by sex, menstrual cycle, and sex steroid hormones

Cited by 230 publications

References 62 publications

Hippocampal volume and functional connectivity changes during the female menstrual cycle

Hippocampal volume and functional connectivity changes during the female menstrual cycle

Gender Differences in Visuospatial Working Memory —Does Emotion Matter?

Perceptions of gender in early years

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