Gentlemen, beware: according to a recent study by the University of Szeged (Hungary), men are more likely than women to develop certain neurodegenerative diseases, such asAlzheimer’s, of Parkinson’s, Huntington or the multiple sclerosis. Indeed, their brain would age faster than ours, leaving them vulnerable to certain degenerations.
To come to this conclusion, the scientists observed the brains of 53 men and 50 women using medical imaging techniques. While the average age of the volunteers was 32, the youngest participant was 21 and the oldest 58. Result: at the same age, the male brain had less gray matter than the female brain. In addition, certain parts of the brain declined more rapidly in men, in particular the caudate nucleus and the putamen, two areas located at the level of the thalamus and notably involved in movement.
A question of hormones?
“Our results show that there is indeed a difference in brain development between men and women. And this difference is far from trivial! »Analyze the authors of this work, published in the specialized journal Brain Imaging and Behavior.
“In men, cell degeneration begins earlier, and takes place more quickly than in women: we see it in particular in terms of the density of gray matter. This difference could be explained on the hormonal level, but more work will be necessary to find out more. However, this conclusion alone could allow more regular monitoring of certain patients. “
To read: the brains of man and woman are (almost) identical.