Brain Development: Evidence of Gender Differences

Phyllis Anne Teeter Ellison and Amy Nelson

Brain development may be one of the most exciting frontiers of the neurosciences,
where neuroimaging, genomics, neurobehavioral, longitudinal, and animal research
are converging for remarkable discoveries. New medical technologies allowing
for structural and functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) and success in mapping
the human genome have advanced our understanding of typical and atypical neurodevelopment,
including gender differences from infancy into adolescence and
adulthood. The impact of hormonal influences is being more thoroughly explored,
particularly their influences on cognitive, executive functions, and emotional behavior.
The past 15 years have yielded extraordinary findings on the brain–behavior
relationship and provided avenues for further exploring the gene–behavior link
across genders.
In the 1990s, the “Decade of the Brain” marked one of the most ambitious undertakings
of scientists from the United States. Research findings from this remarkable
decade included new discoveries in brain plasticity, specifically that the brain
creates new cells later into life than previously known, and that well over half
of the genome is dedicated to brain-related cells (National Institutes of Mental
Health Authors, 2007). While brain growth and maturation sets the foundation,
ultimate human potential lies in the interaction between environmental experiences
and genetic influences on the developing brain. This chapter explores the current
research on brain development, including new findings on gender differences.Males
and females appear to have meaningful differences in brain maturation that have
interesting applications for the way in which we educate and nurture our youth.