TY - JOUR
T1 - Changing your sex changes your brain
T2 - Influences of testosterone and estrogen on adult human brain structure
AU - Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E.
AU - Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T.
AU - Van Haren, Neeltje E.M.
AU - Peper, Jiska S.
AU - Brans, Rachel G.H.
AU - Cahn, Wiepke
AU - Schnack, Hugo G.
AU - Gooren, Louis J.G.
AU - Kahn, René S.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - Objective: Sex hormones are not only involved in the formation of reproductive organs, but also induce sexually-dimorphic brain development and organization. Cross-sex hormone administration to transsexuals provides a unique possibility to study the effects of sex steroids on brain morphology in young adulthood. Methods: Magnetic resonance brain images were made prior to, and during, cross-sex hormone treatment to study the influence of anti-androgen + estrogen treatment on brain morphology in eight young adult male-to-female transsexual human subjects and of androgen treatment in six female-to-male transsexuals. Results: Compared with controls, anti-androgen + estrogen treatment decreased brain volumes of male-to-female subjects towards female proportions, while androgen treatment in female-to-male subjects increased total brain and hypothalamus volumes towards male proportions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that, throughout life, gonadal hormones remain essential for maintaining aspects of sex-specific differences in the human brain.
AB - Objective: Sex hormones are not only involved in the formation of reproductive organs, but also induce sexually-dimorphic brain development and organization. Cross-sex hormone administration to transsexuals provides a unique possibility to study the effects of sex steroids on brain morphology in young adulthood. Methods: Magnetic resonance brain images were made prior to, and during, cross-sex hormone treatment to study the influence of anti-androgen + estrogen treatment on brain morphology in eight young adult male-to-female transsexual human subjects and of androgen treatment in six female-to-male transsexuals. Results: Compared with controls, anti-androgen + estrogen treatment decreased brain volumes of male-to-female subjects towards female proportions, while androgen treatment in female-to-male subjects increased total brain and hypothalamus volumes towards male proportions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that, throughout life, gonadal hormones remain essential for maintaining aspects of sex-specific differences in the human brain.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33845416418&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1530/eje.1.02248
DO - 10.1530/eje.1.02248
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33845416418
SN - 0804-4635
VL - 155
SP - S107-S114
JO - European Journal of Endocrinology, Supplement
JF - European Journal of Endocrinology, Supplement
IS - 1
ER -
