10 Big Differences Between Men's and Women's Brains - Part 2

By Amber Hensley

The differences between women and men are well-documented.

Experts have discovered that there are actually differences in the way women's and men's brains are structured and in the way they react to events and stimuli.

So the next time your wife, boyfriend, or parent starts telling you how you should have done something differently, then refer back to these big differences between men's and women's brains.

6.  Emotions. Women typically have a larger deep limbic system than men, which allows them to be more in touch with their feelings and better able to express them, which promotes bonding with others.

Because of this ability to connect, more women serve as caregivers for children. The down side to this larger deep limbic system is that it also opens women up to depression, especially during times of hormonal shifts such as after childbirth or during a woman's menstrual cycle.

7.  Brain size. Typically, men's brains are 11-12% bigger than women's brains. This size difference has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence, but is explained by the difference in physical size between men and women. Men need more neurons to control their greater muscle mass and larger body size, thus generally have a larger brain.

8.  Pain. Men and women perceive pain differently. In studies, women require more morphine than men to reach the same level of pain reduction. Women are also more likely to vocalize their pain and to seek treatment for their pain than are men.

The area of the brain that is activated during pain is the amygdala, and researchers have discovered that in men, the right amygdala is activated and in women, the left amygdala is activated. The right amygdale (the men) has more connections with areas of the brain that control external functions while the left amygdala (the women) has more connections with internal functions. This difference probably explains why women perceive pain more intensely than do men.

9.  Spatial ability. Men typically have stronger spatial abilities, or being able to mentally represent a shape and its dynamics, whereas women typically struggle in this area.

Medical experts have discovered that women have a thicker parietal region of the brain, which hinders the ability to mentally rotate objects-an aspect of spatial ability. Research has shown this ability in babies as young as 5 months old, negating any ideas that these abilities were strengthened by environmental influences.

10.  Susceptibility to disorders. Because of the way men and women use the two hemispheres of the brain differently, there are some disorders that men and women are susceptible to in different ways.

Men are more apt to have dyslexia or other language problems. If women have dyslexia, they are more likely to compensate for it.

Women, on the other hand, are more susceptible to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

While handedness is not a disorder, these brain tendencies also explain why more men are left-handed than are women. Men are also more likely to be diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and Tourette's Syndrome.

_______________________________________________________

God bless your family and your marriage.

Jim Stephens