Well, it’s official, lads. The female brain is far more active than the male – proving once and for all what you’re wife has always known and what you’ve been constantly trying to deny for your entire marriage.
Conducted by the boffins at the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease , these findings came as a result of the largest functional brain imaging study ever. So good luck trying to argue your way out of this one, especially against someone who is, after all, a member of a gender with a far more active brain.
It’s not all bad news for us gents though, as men did show more activity in the visual and coordination centres of the brain. So we’ve got that going for us.
In comparison to their male counterparts; however, the study found that the brains of women were significantly more active in a wide range of areas. Women showed notably more activity in the prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain associated with focus and impulse control – as well as in the limbic areas of the brain which deal with mood and anxiety.
Which is probably why your missus is more likely to cry during a film than you are. No, really. The increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex may partly explain why women do, in general, tend to exhibit greater levels of empathy than men. The activity in the limbic areas may also help to understand why women are particularly more vulnerable to suffering from anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
In relation to these afflictions, the study also showed that women have significantly higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease, with depression itself being a major risk factor towards the development of the disease, whilst men have higher rates of ADHD and other conduct-related issues.
