Monday 21 December 2009

Another part of the puzzle

Sexual differentiation of the human brain in relation to gender identity and sexual orientation D.Swaab & A.Garcia-Fulgaras Functional Neurology, Jan-Mar 2009:
One person we studied had untreated male gender dysphoria (S7), took no hormones and kept his transsexual feelings under wraps. He appeared to have a large INAH3 volume - in the male range - but a female INAH3 number of neurons (68) and a female BSTc somatostatin neuron number (95). Hence, this individual's hypothalamic characteristics were mid-way between male and female values

68. Garcia-Falgueras A, Swaab DF. A sex difference in the hypothamaic uncinate nucleus: relationship to gender identity. Brain 2008;131:3132-3146

95. Kruijver FP, Zhou JN, Pool CW, Hofman MA, Gooren LJ, Swaab DF. Male-to-female transsexuals have female neuron numbers in a limbic nucleus. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000;85:2034-2041
Biology is fuzzy: there are degrees of masculinisation and feminisation in various neuro-anatomical structures. This data suggests that the degree has a correlation with intensity of transsexuality, whether the patient transitions early, late, or not at all.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

TY Zoe. More proff positive we are who we say we are.
I wonder how much scientific hard data the haters will ignore to maintain the hate. My guess it has no limits. Sad but true I fear.

anyways...

/hugz

Cynthia Lee

Khadijah said...

Gosh, I wish that I could participate in this research. We are always trying to find the elusive "why".

It was certainly not voluntary with me. I knew around 4 years old, but also know that the only males in my life at the time were pure bastards, and that may have led to my total rejection of them.

Still, with sufficent beating, I was launched into a steriotypically "normal" male life until it just blew up in my face once the kids were all um launched.

I'd really like to read more about this research but please talk down to me a little. :)

Khadijah