BACKGROUND: To date, research findings are inconsistent about whether the neuroanatomy in transgender persons resembles that of their natal sex or their gender identity. Moreover, few studies have examined the effects of long-term cross-sex hormonal treatment on neuroanatomy in this cohort. The purpose of the present study was to examine neuroanatomical differences in transgender persons after prolonged cross-sex hormone therapy. METHODS: Eighteen transgender men (female-to-male), 17 transgender women (male-to-female), 30 nontransgender men (natal men), and 27 nontransgender women (natal women) completed a high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scan at 3 T. Eligibility criteria for transgender persons were gender-affirming surgery and at least 2 years of cross-sex hormone therapy. Exclusion criteria for nontransgender persons were presence of psychiatric or neurological disorders. RESULTS: The mean neuroanatomical volume for the amygdala, putamen, and corpus callosum differed between transgender women and natal women but not between transgender women and natal men. Differences between transgender men and natal men were found in several brain structures, including the medial temporal lobe structures and cerebellum. Differences between transgender men and natal women were found in the medial temporal lobe, nucleus accumbens, and 3rd ventricle. Sexual dimorphism between nontransgender men and women included larger cerebellar volumes and a smaller anterior corpus callosum in natal men than in natal women. The results remained stable after correcting for additional factors including age, total intracranial volume, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Neuroanatomical differences were region specific between transgender persons and their natal sex as well as their gender identity, raising the possibility of a localized influence of sex hormones on neuroanatomy.
BACKGROUND: To date, research findings are inconsistent about whether the neuroanatomy in transgender persons resembles that of their natal sex or their gender identity. Moreover, few studies have examined the effects of long-term cross-sex hormonal treatment on neuroanatomy in this cohort. The purpose of the present study was to examine neuroanatomical differences in transgender persons after prolonged cross-sex hormone therapy. METHODS: Eighteen transgender men (female-to-male), 17 transgender women (male-to-female), 30 nontransgender men (natal men), and 27 nontransgender women (natal women) completed a high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scan at 3 T. Eligibility criteria for transgender persons were gender-affirming surgery and at least 2 years of cross-sex hormone therapy. Exclusion criteria for nontransgender persons were presence of psychiatric or neurological disorders. RESULTS: The mean neuroanatomical volume for the amygdala, putamen, and corpus callosum differed between transgender women and natal women but not between transgender women and natal men. Differences between transgender men and natal men were found in several brain structures, including the medial temporal lobe structures and cerebellum. Differences between transgender men and natal women were found in the medial temporal lobe, nucleus accumbens, and 3rd ventricle. Sexual dimorphism between nontransgender men and women included larger cerebellar volumes and a smaller anterior corpus callosum in natal men than in natal women. The results remained stable after correcting for additional factors including age, total intracranial volume, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Neuroanatomical differences were region specific between transgender persons and their natal sex as well as their gender identity, raising the possibility of a localized influence of sex hormones on neuroanatomy.
Authors: Hillary B Nguyen; James Loughead; Emily Lipner; Liisa Hantsoo; Sara L Kornfield; C Neill Epperson Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2018-07-05 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Aditi Bhargava; Arthur P Arnold; Debra A Bangasser; Kate M Denton; Arpana Gupta; Lucinda M Hilliard Krause; Emeran A Mayer; Margaret McCarthy; Walter L Miller; Armin Raznahan; Ragini Verma Journal: Endocr Rev Date: 2021-05-25 Impact factor: 25.261
Authors: Maiko A Schneider; Poli M Spritzer; Luciano Minuzzi; Benicio N Frey; Sabrina K Syan; Tayane M Fighera; Karine Schwarz; Ângelo B Costa; Dhiordan C da Silva; Cláudia C G Garcia; Anna M V Fontanari; André G Real; Maurício Anes; Juliana U Castan; Fernanda R Cunegatto; Maria I R Lobato Journal: Front Neurosci Date: 2019-08-07 Impact factor: 4.677
Authors: Pia Baldinger-Melich; Maria F Urquijo Castro; René Seiger; Anne Ruef; Dominic B Dwyer; Georg S Kranz; Manfred Klöbl; Joseph Kambeitz; Ulrike Kaufmann; Christian Windischberger; Siegfried Kasper; Peter Falkai; Rupert Lanzenberger; Nikolaos Koutsouleris Journal: Cereb Cortex Date: 2020-03-14 Impact factor: 5.357
Authors: Claas Flint; Katharina Förster; Sophie A Koser; Carsten Konrad; Pienie Zwitserlood; Klaus Berger; Marco Hermesdorf; Tilo Kircher; Igor Nenadic; Axel Krug; Bernhard T Baune; Katharina Dohm; Ronny Redlich; Nils Opel; Volker Arolt; Tim Hahn; Xiaoyi Jiang; Udo Dannlowski; Dominik Grotegerd Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2020-04-09 Impact factor: 7.853