As if we needed any more proof, scientists have confirmed once again that male and female brains are wired differently. 

The Guardian reports scientists have drawn on nearly 1,000 brain scans to come to the conclusion that there are major differences in the wiring of male and female brains.

Maps of neural circuitry prove female brain, on average, is wired heavily across the left and right hemispheres while male brains typically have stronger connections between the front and back regions.

A researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, Ragini Verma, explained that one of the greatest surprises the study proved was how accurate the old stereotypes regarding brains seem to be.

“If you look at functional studies, the left of the brain is more for logical thinking, the right of the brain is for more intuitive thinking. So if there’s a task that involves doing both of those things, it would seem that women are hardwired to do those better,” said Verma. “Women are better at intuitive thinking. Women are better at remembering things. When you talk, women are more emotionally involved – they will listen more.”

This image shows a neural map of a typical female brain. Via the National Academy of Sciences/PA

“I was surprised that it matched a lot of the stereotypes that we think we have in our heads. If I wanted to go to a chef or a hairstylist, they are mainly men,” she added.

A neural map of a typical male brain via the National Academy of Sciences/PA

The study shows women typically have more connectivity between the left and right sides of the brain than men, however, men had greater connections between the left and right sides of the brain in the cerebellum, which is vital for motor control.

“If you want to learn how to ski, it’s the cerebellum that has to be strong,” Verma explained.

Connections in men were mostly confined to individual hemispheres.

The study also showed male and female brains have little difference in connectivity up to the age of 13 but start to differentiate between the ages of 14-17.

“It’s quite striking how complementary the brains of women and men really are,” the co-author of the study, Ruben Gur, said in a statement. “Detailed connectome maps of the brain will not only help us better understand the differences between how men and women think, but it will also give us more insight into the roots of neurological disorders, which are often sex-related.”

Verma’s team used a technique called diffusion tensor imaging to map the different connections in male and female brains. The study used the brains of 428 males and 521 females aged eight to 22.

This study gives scientists a more accurate and complete picture of how brains work for each gender at various ages. The Guardian reports these maps will be able to aid researchers in learning more about whether abnormalities in brain connectivity affect disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.

Featured Image Via Getty Images

Sources:

The Guardian

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences