Women have more active brain than men, but more prone to Alzheimer's disease: Study

The women brains are significantly more active in many areas of the brain than men, more precisely in the prefrontal cortex, involved with focus and impulse control, and the limbic or emotional areas of the brain, involved in mood and anxiety, according to the study published in the journal of Alzheimer's Disease 

"This is a very important study to help understand gender-based brain differences. The quantifiable differences we identified between men and women are important for understanding gender-based risk for brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease," said lead author Daniel Amen, Founder, Amen Clinics, Newport Beach, California. 

Due to increased prefrontal cortex blood flow in women compared to men, women tend to exhibit greater strengths in the areas of empathy, intuition, collaboration, self-control, and appropriate concern.  

The Study also revealed that increased blood flow in limbic areas of the brains of women leads to vulnerability, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and eating disorders in women.

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The visual and coordination centers of the brain were more active in men. 

The researchers studied more than 45,000 brain imaging studies involving single-photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT. SPECT can measure blood perfusion in the brain. Images acquired from participants at rest or while performing various cognitive tasks show different blood flow in specific brain regions. 

"Using functional neuroimaging tools, such as SPECT, are essential to developing precision medicine brain treatments in the future," Amen said. 

A total of 128 brain regions were analyzed for participants at baseline and while performing a concentration task. 

To understand these differences is vital because brain disorders affect men and women differently. 

Women have significantly higher rates depression, which is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, and anxiety disorders, while men have higher rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct-related problems. 

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