I have often been asked the question of whether there are many, I want to specify 7 differences between the women and men brains among other physical changes. I would like to answer by referring to a recent study done by the Amen Clinic, using SPECT technology, where brain scans were done on 46,034 women and men.
These scans showed significant differences between the brains of the two sexes although it should be kept in mind that each individual is unique and differences are observed not only between the sexes but also within the same sex. Of course, the knowledge of the brain is still in its first steps and needs continuous studies to understand what happens in our brain!
SPECT technology provides imaging of the brain in action, capturing mental activities as they occur.
I understand that you have become curious to read what these changes are, especially if you have seen the YouTube video on the female and male brain that went viral.
What exactly are these changes according to the scan of over 46 thousand people to get in the result of 7 differences between the women and men brains
First: Women’s brains are busier than men’s brains
During 2017 SPECT scans, 80 areas of the brain were analyzed. In 70 of them, women’s brains showed much more activity than men’s brains. In general, women’s brains are busier compared to men’s brains.Rich Dad Poor Dad (Book Content) by Robert Kiyosaki 2023
When it comes to problem solving, women activate several areas of the brain, while men rely on a localized area. This is probably also the reason why women can do many things at the same time* while men tend to finish one job and then start the next.
Second: The frontal part of the brain in men is “sleepier” than in women
According to the scans, men have less activity in the frontal area of the brain, called the PreFrontalCortex – the part created in the last 10,000 years of human brain evolution. As I have explained in previous articles, the frontal area or PFC is involved in activities such as planning, judgment, speech, empathy and impulse control.
Maybe this is related to point 1, that women’s brains are busier than men’s, but I also think men take higher risks than women. Since they have the PFC area more dormant, they don’t have too many worries when they take on the risk of something.
Based on this fact, Langdon underlines:
“Men and women have different battles in life and start with different “cards”**.
I often come across comments that both make you laugh, but also make you think. One of these comments from Ami was: When I ask my husband what he is thinking, he answers me “nothing”. At that moment I say to myself: How is it possible not to think anything?”.
Third: The centers responsible for emotions are more active in women
It goes without saying that women are more emotional than men. This has become an indisputable truth. But SPECT images also show that the female brain shows a higher activity in the limbic area, which is otherwise known as the primitive brain. The limbic area carries the “rainbow” of emotions and is responsible for creating connections, family, friendships, caring for others and so on. Apparently, this is also the reason why women dream of marriage, family creation and children more than men.
Fourth: The Anterior Cingulate area works harder in women
This area is responsible for shifting attention from one action to another as well as identifying errors. The Anterior Cingulate area has a tendency to focus more on negative thoughts or regretful behaviors as well as focus on what is not working rather than what is going well. Also here is the area that activates the concerns and the higher the activity in this area, the more we worry. This does not mean that men do not worry or focus on problems. It’s just that women and men tend to have different ways of worrying.
Fifth: Visual and coordination centers work harder in men
These centers are more active in men than in women and perhaps this explains the fact that men have a more realistic determination of distance through car mirrors. Meanwhile, another study from Science Daily reconfirms that the brains of women and men respond differently to visual stimuli***.
This study focused on 28 participants, 14 females and 14 males who were given images related to social and sexual interaction. The fMRI scans showed varying levels of activation in the Amygdala, which controls risk, emotion and motivation. The scans showed that men process visual images differently than women. Other studies show that men have a higher level of testosterone (25% higher than in women) in the visual cortex, the very area where images are processed.
Sixth: Feminine intuition is real
Brain scans show that women have a larger area of the brain that responds to intuition, specifically the area called the Default Mode Network (DMN), an area that is super active even when we think our brains are at rest. Women are faster in evaluating people or situations with limited information, having those internal sensations in the stomach area, where there are about 40 thousand neurons with the same qualities as those in our brain.
Seventh: Serotonin levels are different in the brain of women and men
According to brain imaging, fMRI or SPECT it is observed that serotonin (brain neurotransmitter) is about 52% higher in men than in women. It is known that serotonin significantly affects the stabilization of mood swings, more peaceful sleep, reduction of pain, etc. Usually people with low levels of serotonin have anxiety, physical pain, worry constantly and even depression.
I think this explains the fact that anxiety and depression are more present in women than in men, as well as physical pain as a result of arthritis or rheumatism.
Anxiety and depression impair your quality of life. Mental health is the challenge of the time and it is our duty for a quality 4-dimensional health: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
A healthy brain affects a healthy and quality life, both on a personal and professional level.
Explaining the reason for these changes and understanding the strengths and challenges is a very important first step to a quality life and to success, whatever success means to you.
The fact that we are different and our brains are different does not mean that one has an advantage over the other. It is important to appreciate this fact and support each other’s strengths. It also doesn’t mean that one gender is more intelligent/capable or at an advantage than the other.
Personally, I think that these changes have developed over thousands of years as part of the social, economic and cultural commitment of different genders, since as far as I am informed, they are not biological changes but 7 differences between the women and men brains as I named this article.How to get out of your comfort zone
We must keep in mind that the study of the brain is still in its early stages and the more research and studies are done, the more information we will have on an efficient and healthy use of it.
*I’ve talked a lot about multitasking as a form of harming productivity and the quality of the work you do.
**Here Langdon refers to the different way the brain works between women and men which he calls different “cards”.
*** Study by Center for Behavioral Neuroscience – Stephan Hamann and Kim Wallen.