大脑的性别差异近年来受到了广泛关注。脑成像技术的出现为脑结构和脑功能性别差异的研究开辟了新的道路。借助结构磁共振成像和弥散张量成像等脑结构信息,以及脑电图、正电子发射断层扫描技术和功能性磁共振成像等脑功能信息,当前研究主要探讨了脑灰质、脑白质和大脑的基线活动在脑局部区域、脑子系统、全脑连接组三个层次上的性别差异及其在年龄上的发展变化。此外,为了更好地理解脑性别差异,当前文章还探讨了脑性别差异研究领域的一些认识误区。有关脑性别差异的研究虽然已经取得了丰富的成果,但现有的研究结果存在很多分歧,仍然有深入挖掘的空间。未来应该加强对具有性别特异性的心理疾病脑机制的研究,关注基因和环境对脑性别差异的交互作用,并利用脑功能活动动态变化的特性、以及结合多模态的脑成像技术进一步阐明脑性别差异。
Recently, increased emphasis has been placed on the investigation of gender differences in the human brain. Neuroimaging techniques have broken new ground in studying the effects of gender on both brain structure and function. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging, current research discusses gender differences and their changes with age in gray matter and white matter within three levels: focal brain region, brain subsystem and brain network. Moreover, current study also explores gender differences and their changes with age in the baseline brain activity, within above-mentioned three levels by electroencephalogram, positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, to better understand the evidence of gender influences on the brain, it is also helpful to discuss some common misconceptions about the topic. Although much progress has been made in the field of gender differences in the brain, significant controversy remains and more work should be done in the future. On the one hand, we should increase studies of brain mechanism about gender-specific mental disorders, and focus on the interaction effects of gene and environment on gender differences in the brain. On the other hand, we should also consider the dynamic characteristics of brain functional activity and combine multimodal neuroimaging techniques to further reveal gender differences in the brain.