GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CORRELATIONS OF CEREBRAL GLUCOSE METABOLIC RATES IN YOUNG NORMAL ADULTS

Correlational analysis of normalized regional cerebral metabolic data obtained by positron emission tomography, in healthy subjects in the 'resting' state (eyes covered, ears plugged) using [F-18]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose, demonstrated gender differences in patterns of functional associations. Fifteen women and 18 men (< 40 yr) were scanned with a Scanditronix PC1024-7B tomograph. The brain was divided into 65 regions of interest (ROIs). There were no differences between men and women in global or regional metabolic rates, or in metabolic right-left asymmetries. Although the total number of significant correlations did not differ between men and women, patterns differed: female correlations r(F) were more positive than male correlations r(M) more often than r(M) > r(F); and most r(F) > r(M) cases involved left frontal and sensorimotor ROIs, whereas most r(M) > r(F) cases involved right sensorimotor and occipital ROIs. The findings demonstrate gender differences in the pattern of functional neocortical interactions at the 'resting' state.