A recent study by researchers at the European College Of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) suggests that sex hormones create a “genuine difference” in brain structure between men and women.
After comparing brain images of 18 female-to-male transsexuals before and after they received testosterone therapy, researchers found that they exhibited significant differences in brain structure after receiving high-dose hormone therapy as part of their sexual reassignment treatment.
Professor Rupert Lanzenberger explained: “What we see is a real quantitative difference in brain structure after prolonged exposure to testosterone.”
“These findings may suggest that the genuine difference between the brains of women and men is substantially attributable to the effects of circulating sex hormones,” Lanzenberger said. “Moreover, the hormonal influence on human brain structure goes beyond early development phases and is still present in adulthood.”
Recent media coverage of transgenderism and transsexualism have raised questions about whether one’s gender can be changed.