Scans show biology may determine gay/straight brain

by William Atkins

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Page 3 of 3

Other researchers, in previous studies of a similar nature, used responses from their subjects with respect to sexually explicit questions and actions to show a link with sexual preference and the structure of the brain.

For instance, a sample question could have included a picture of a man and a women with the question being asked: "Do you prefer one face over the other?"

Such responses in these studies could have likely been learned after birth--thus, not determined before birth.

This study, however, places a direct biological link between sexual preference and brain development before birth.

They concluded in their abstract, “The present study shows sex-atypical cerebral asymmetry and functional connections in homosexual subjects. The results cannot be primarily ascribed to learned effects, and they suggest a linkage to neurobiological entities.”

Savic states, "This is the most robust measure so far of cerebral differences between homosexual and heterosexual subjects.” [New Scientist]

Their June 16, 2008 paper entitled “PET and MRI show differences in cerebral asymmetry and functional connectivity between homo- and heterosexual subjects” was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS).

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