Morphology of the ventral frontal cortex: relationship to femininity and social cognition

Jessica L Wood; Dwayne Heitmiller; Nancy C Andreasen; Peg Nopoulos

doi:10.1093/cercor/bhm079

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Morphology of the ventral frontal cortex: relationship to femininity and social cognition

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Morphology of the ventral frontal cortex: relationship to femininity and social cognition

Jessica L Wood, Dwayne Heitmiller, Nancy C Andreasen and Peg Nopoulos

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991), Vol.18(3), pp.534-540

03/2008

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhm079

PMID: 17573374

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Abstract

Females have been shown in a number of studies to be more adept in social perception compared with males. In addition, studies have reported that brain regions important in interpretation of nonverbal social cues, such as the ventral frontal cortex (VFC), are morphologically different between genders. To investigate the relationship between the structure of the VFC and social cognition, gray matter volume and surface area of the VFC were measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 30 men and 30 women matched for age and IQ. The VFC was subdivided into the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the straight gyrus (SG). The SG, but not the OFC, was proportionately larger in women. A subset of subjects was administered the Interpersonal Perception Task (IPT), a test of social perceptiveness, and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ), a scale of femininity and masculinity. Identification with more feminine traits on the PAQ correlated with greater SG gray matter volume and surface area. In addition, higher degrees of femininity correlated with better performance on the IPT. Taken together, these data suggest a complex relationship between femininity, social cognition, and the structure of the SG.

Humans

Middle Aged

Male

Brain Mapping - methods

Sex Characteristics

Frontal Lobe - physiology

Social Behavior

Social Perception

Adolescent

Cognition - physiology

Adult

Female

Interpersonal Relations

Frontal Lobe - anatomy & histology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Morphology of the ventral frontal cortex: relationship to femininity and social cognition
Creators: Jessica L Wood - Mental Health Clinical Research Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
Dwayne Heitmiller
Nancy C Andreasen
Peg Nopoulos
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991), Vol.18(3), pp.534-540
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhm079
PMID: 17573374
ISSN: 1047-3211
eISSN: 1460-2199
Grant note: MH31593 / NIMH NIH HHS MH40856 / NIMH NIH HHS MH43271 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 03/2008
Academic Unit: Neurology; Psychiatry; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984003407902771

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